Chapter Thirty-One: Yuyin’s Past, The White Deer Holding Apricot

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Before long, Elder Jade Tranquility and Daoist Jade Virtue busied themselves elsewhere. At present, the entire Daoist Palace was in a state of disarray, with countless matters demanding attention. Without the two of them presiding over the situation, chaos would surely ensue.

Once they departed, only Lin You and Daoist Jade In remained in the hall.

Lin You then took from his robe the apricot stone, about the size of a fist, and asked, “Elder Brother, may I ask where you acquired this apricot stone? It seems rather unusual, does it not?”

At the sight of the stone, Daoist Jade In froze, his expression distant, as though lost in memory.

He gave a bitter smile. “You must find it laughable, junior brother! This is no rare treasure, merely something of great personal significance to me. That is why I kept it hidden away in my chest, though I forgot to remove it earlier.”

As he spoke, his figure seemed forlorn, and his tone grew markedly heavier.

When he finished, his gaze grew vacant, as though recalling dusty memories from the past.

Lin You watched him, curiosity stirring in his heart, but seeing such a reaction, he felt reluctant to press further.

Just as Lin You made to excuse himself, Daoist Jade In suddenly called him back with a sigh. “Junior brother, would you be willing to listen to an old tale of mine?”

Lin You nodded. “I am all ears, elder brother.”

Daoist Jade In sat down, a glint of reminiscence in his eyes, and began, “In truth, I am not a native of Jinzhou, but hail from Jiangzhou…”

He went on to say that his given name was Sun Siyuan, and his family lived in the Jiangning district of Jiangzhou.

Sixty years ago, he was but a youth, following his elders into the mountains each day to chop wood and hunt for a living.

One day, while hunting in a grove of bitter apricot trees, he witnessed several wild wolves cornering a white deer. The deer, desperate, cried out in distress.

Moved by the animal’s intelligence, Sun Siyuan pitied it. He quickly nocked an arrow and shot dead two of the wolves.

The remaining wolves, seeing this, abandoned the deer and lunged at him instead.

After a bloody fight, the three remaining wolves fell to his blade, but he was left covered in wounds.

Rather than fleeing, the white deer approached and gently licked his injuries.

Strangely, wherever the deer’s tongue touched, the wounds healed rapidly, and in no time, Sun Siyuan was as good as new.

From then on, man and deer became companions.

The deer would often bring him precious herbs like ginseng and lingzhi. Sun Siyuan sold these at the pharmacy, gradually improving his family’s circumstances and even earning a chance to apprentice at the shop.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Just as his life was becoming hopeful, a plague began to spread quietly through Jiangning.

The epidemic struck suddenly, and it seemed as if the pharmacies had been forewarned: they had already swept the market clean of medicinal herbs and inflated prices to chilling heights.

Countless people, unable to afford treatment, perished.

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After two years as an apprentice, Sun Siyuan had picked up some medical skills, so he began to treat his neighbors free of charge.

But too many fell ill, and with scant medicine, he too eventually succumbed to the plague.

Lying on his bed, barely clinging to life, he saw, through a haze, the white deer arrive at his home, carrying a large, pale apricot in its mouth.

A seasoned hunter, he recognized it at once: it was a fruit from the oldest tree in the bitter apricot grove.

The grove was so named because, though the apricots appeared plump and juicy, they were in truth unbearably bitter and astringent, impossible to swallow.

But this apricot was different. When the deer pressed it into his mouth, it turned to sweet, nectar-like ambrosia as it slid down his throat.

A coolness spread through his body, and his illness was miraculously cured.

Astonished and elated, Sun Siyuan shared the apricot’s healing power with the villagers, and soon the grove was teeming with people.

They discovered that the formerly bitter fruit was now fragrant and sweet, and truly effective against the plague.

Yet news of this quickly reached the pharmacy owners.

That very night, a raging fire swept through the bitter apricot grove. Thousands of trees—including the venerable old one—were reduced to ashes.

From that day on, Sun Siyuan never saw the white deer again.

Later, he honed his martial skills and investigated the truth, eventually learning that the plague had been deliberately introduced by the pharmacy bosses, in collusion with the local officials.

At this point, a flicker of pain crossed Daoist Jade In’s face.

Though he had avenged himself on those villains, the white deer was lost forever. Only the apricot stone from that day remained, a memory he cherished ever since.

Lin You listened in silence.

He understood in his heart that the white deer was likely a being much like Lady Plum.

Though his elder brother had acted to save others, he had, in the end, doomed his friend the white deer. Small wonder guilt drove him to wander far from home, tormented each day by remorse.

He offered no words of comfort, for mere words were futile in the face of such sorrow.

Gazing at his elder brother’s graying hair, Lin You gently patted his shoulder. “Come, let us go down to the valley to see the spirit spring.”

Daoist Jade In managed a smile, though it was stiff, as if he were forcing all his pain deep down inside.

“Let’s go! Let’s see the spirit spring of Mount Chisong together!” he replied, clapping Lin You on the shoulder.

…

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In the valley,

Bai Yi and Liu Xiyue gazed at the jagged fissures in the earth, still shaken.

Especially Bai Yi, who had thought she’d chosen the perfect refuge, only to nearly land them both in peril. Embarrassment flickered in her eyes.

Liu Xiyue, worried, said, “That must have been a landslip just now. I wonder how the Daoist elders are faring. Sister Bai, shall we return to check on them?”

Bai Yi’s ears drooped, her fluffy tail pausing mid-swing.

She replied evasively, “Don’t fret, Sister Xiyue. With the protection of the immortals, everyone in the mountains will be safe and sound!”

With that, she attempted to change the subject.

She sniffed the air, her face lighting up in surprise. “Sister Xiyue, do you smell that? There’s an incredible fragrance in the air!”

Liu Xiyue’s attention was duly diverted.

She closed her eyes and, imitating Bai Yi, took a gentle sniff. Instantly, a fresh, rain-washed scent filled her senses, relaxing her utterly.

“What is that aroma?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s coming from the east!” Bai Yi looked about and determined the direction.

They exchanged a glance and decided to investigate.

Carefully avoiding the tangle of ravines, they walked about a hundred paces when the sound of running water reached their ears.

The air grew thick with the fragrance of herbs and wildflowers, almost intoxicating in its richness.

Pushing aside the tall grass, they found a crystal-clear stream flowing before them.

On both banks, wondrous flowers and rare herbs flourished, their fragrance the very source of the heady aroma.

“How… How can this be?”

Liu Xiyue stared in disbelief, rubbing her eyes, half-convinced she was dreaming.

Among the myriad herbs, she recognized several spiritual medicines she’d seen before, growing in the medicine fields of Moonwhite Academy. Even with careful cultivation, their survival rate was abysmally low.

Yet here, these rare herbs thrived as abundantly as wild grass. Though still young, they seemed even more potent than the old specimens in the academy’s fields.

What kind of place was this?