PDLP Chapter 21 Release from Prison
Chapter 21 Release from Prison
Having just woken up from a sweet sleep, Song Quyou had nothing to do and was about to sit cross-legged in meditation when footsteps sounded outside the prison door.
Cheng Qing removed his armor, changed into a blue robe with dark floral patterns, and, with the prison key in his mouth, a food box in one hand and two jars of wine in the other, arrived at the door of Song Quyou's prison.
"Master, quickly take the key, open the cell door, and let me in."
Song Quyou looked up at Cheng Qing biting the prison key, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
He briskly got up, took the key, opened the cell door, and let him in.
"Daoist, you're in luck today! I've managed to buy the twice-cooked pork and roast chicken from the west of the city. These are the best snacks to go with drinks in the entire Jiannan County."
Cheng Qing opened the food box. The twice-cooked pork was glistening and spicy, and the roast chicken had crispy skin and tender meat. The aroma wafted straight into her nose. Plate after plate, along with side dishes to cut through the richness, filled the low table.
"Good food can only be paired with good wine. The Jiannan Shaochun I brought this time is brewed by a master craftsman and is different from other Shaochun."
As Cheng Qing spoke, he patted off the mud seal, and the entire cell was filled with the aroma of wine.
"This wine is so good, let's have one first."
Song Quyou picked up the wine bowl and took a small sip. The master craftsman's brewed Shaochun was indeed different; it was smooth on the palate but had a strong aftertaste, with a warm sensation flowing from his throat straight down into his stomach.
"How is the matter with the prefect?"
Cheng Qing waved his hand, picked up a chicken leg, handed it to Song Quyou, and ate another one himself. "It's alright. Although it was the prefect who died, all the witnesses and evidence have nothing to do with the Taoist priest. Once my father, the governor, arrives in Jiannan County, we'll go through the motions, and everything will be over."
Song Quyou didn't stand on ceremony, took the chicken leg, took a bite, and whispered:
"Last night I returned to the mountains and confirmed one thing: the magistrate's wife did not commit suicide for love, but was eaten by that white ape."
Cheng Qing's eyes suddenly widened, and she whispered, "That suicide note?"
"The suicide note is fake; there's someone behind the white ape."
Cheng Qing frowned, and the meat in his hand no longer smelled good.
"However, there are no more white apes in those mountains. After it ate all the women it kept in the mountains, it disappeared without a trace. It didn't take advantage of my exhaustion after I buried the remains to attack me."
Cheng Qing breathed a sigh of relief, "That monster is gone, so be it. Just don't let it harm Jiannan anymore."
We were full and satisfied.
Song Quyou put down the chicken bones and suddenly asked, "When will your father arrive in Jiannan?"
"Just stay put for the next two days, Taoist priest. Everything is arranged. The day my father arrives will be the day you are released. If you need anything, just ask the jailer."
……
Two days later, Cheng Qing's father, the governor of Jiannan Circuit, arrived in the county town.
On the day Song Quyou was released from prison, Cheng Qing came to pick him up in person.
"My father heard about the Taoist priest's extermination of evil spirits and wanted to express his gratitude in person, but he was tied up with official duties, so he asked me to convey his thanks on his behalf."
Cheng Qing handed over a money bag and said, "This is one hundred taels of silver, for your travel expenses."
Song Quyou accepted the silver without hesitation and thanked him. Before leaving, he gave Cheng Qing a yellow talisman, saying:
"This yellow talisman can ward off minor evil spirits. Brother Chengqing, you can carry it with you when you go out."
"What are your plans next, Taoist priest?"
"I originally planned to take a boat eastward to the mouth of the Yangtze River, but now I've changed my mind and plan to explore the scenery on foot."
After bidding farewell to Cheng Qing, Song Quyou left the city and retrieved the Emerald Pine Pot outside the city.
A streak of crimson light flew out of the pot and landed on Song Quyou's shoulder.
"Is there anything unusual about that jade pendant?"
Yun Que shook his head and said, "After eating that four-faced ghost, apart from having more four-faced ghost patterns, nothing else has changed."
Song Quyou entered the world of gourds, picked up the green jade on the desk, and frowned.
"Very well, I was going to throw you away since your origins are unknown, but since you can ward off ghosts, I suppose you're not an evil creature."
……
The journey will take three to five days.
Song Quyou, carrying his sword, followed the river and ventured into the mountains, where he lost his way.
Fortunately, there was still a mountain path to follow.
The lark perched on Song Quyou's shoulder, shaking its head and chirping away, showing no sign of panic at being lost.
"You bitch!" A rough voice echoed through the mountains.
Song Quyou and Yun Que heard someone shouting and cursing, and turned around to look for the person.
"What are you looking at, you hairless monkey and scruffy pheasant?"
Song Quyou pointed to himself, puzzled, and asked, "Are you referring to me, Your Excellency?"
"What are you barking about, you dead dog? I'm insulting you and that scruffy pheasant on your shoulder."
Upon hearing someone insult him, the lark's feathers stood on end, and he flew into a rage.
"Who's swearing there? Show yourself if you dare!"
The dense forest rustled as the last remnants of autumn green fell in a rustling sound, making the forest even more bare.
The swaying trees drew ever closer to Song Quyou and Yun Que. Suddenly, a pig-like monster with bright red fur, like a ball of flame, straightened up, pushed aside the grass and trees in front of it, and charged out while cursing.
The fiery-looking pig monster stood in the middle of the mountain path in front of Song Quyou, hands on its hips, head held high, a tuft of red and yellow hair, and full of energy, it cursed and swore at the bewildered Song Quyou and Yun Que.
Song Quyou suppressed his anger and laughed, because he recognized the monster as the Mountain Ox recorded in ancient books. It was good at cursing and loved to swear, but it was not threatening at all. He could simply ignore it when he encountered it.
"You shorty!"
"You're a red-skinned wild boar!" Lark, unable to bear the insult, started yelling back at the mountain scorpion.
Upon hearing this, the mountain grime, having been insulted and then retorted, bristled even more, like a ball of charcoal ignited by the wind, and spat out saliva as if it were sparks from a stove.
"You scruffy pheasant, short-lived wretch, tiny little thing! Your head is smaller than a pine nut, filled with filth!"
The lark, enraged, flew off Song Quyou's shoulder and landed in the middle of the mountain path, its feathers standing on end.
"Red-skinned pig, tough as nails, walks like a landslide, your curly hair is reddish-yellow, everything you do will turn out yellow!"
Song Quyou, holding his sword, simply found a blue stone to sit on and watched the bird and the pig bicker.
The mountain thorn's insults were sharp and witty, always hitting people where it hurt. But the lark wouldn't back down, chirping away as fast as scattering beans.
As the sun set and dusk approached, the lark was still arguing with the mountain stag. Song Quyou, unperturbed, lit a campfire nearby and began to eat the fragrant rice cakes filled with sizzling cured meat.
The aroma of cured pork, mingling with the fragrance of rice, wafts through the mountains.
The mountain spiel, who was cursing vehemently, sniffed, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, and slowed down his swearing.
Since Song Quyou was facing away from the mountain gorilla, and its mind was now filled with thoughts of food, it swayed left and right and kept jumping up and down, eager to see what Song Quyou was eating.
"You... you taciturn guy who doesn't smack his lips when he eats."
Song Quyou thought to himself, "I've already kept it a secret, how can I still be scolded?"
The lark, being a naturally born celestial bird, showed no discomfort despite being scolded for so long. However, seeing Song Quyou leisurely eating alone without helping her, she felt a nameless anger rising within her.
"Song Quyou! ...You certainly know how to enjoy life. Quickly, help me curse it."
Song Quyou turned around, took two golden-brown roasted rice cakes, sandwiched with sizzling, oily meat, and handed them to a bird and a pig.
"Stop yelling, eat something first, then yell."
Shan Gao didn't stand on ceremony. With a wiggle of his body, he took the meat-filled rice cake, sat by the campfire, and ate it with relish.
Hibari, now transformed into a young girl, took the rice cake, huffed, and returned to the campfire, temporarily trucing the fight.