Mountains and Rivers Bear Witness, Memories Amidst the Smoke and Ashes Chapter Ten: Recollections of the Southern Capital (Part One)

In a certain alley of Muyun Prefecture, a group of people huddled in the corner, their faces bruised and swollen. Gold lay scattered across the ground. Jiang Wuyou left two pieces behind and packed up the rest. Before departing, he addressed the group, “I told you not to rob anymore, but you wouldn’t listen. Since you helped me recover the gold, I’ll leave you two pieces. Use them to live well.”

At the alley’s entrance, Jiang Wuyou saw three people waiting, and he shook the bundle in his hand. The trio instantly understood.

Just an hour before, Jiang Wuyou had left the trio for a moment, only to return and find them surrounded by a gang intent on robbery. He immediately recognized these men as ones he’d previously dealt with. To his surprise, they still hadn’t reformed and were now targeting Chen Zhiming and his companions. Coincidentally, the gang had just stolen a chest of gold from someone, and Jiang Wuyou instantly recognized it as the gold he had previously given a hapless vendor for medical expenses. Now it was in the hands of these thieves; the unlucky vendor had his stall smashed, was beaten, and his money stolen—bad luck piled upon bad luck.

Jiang Wuyou had asked why they kept targeting Chen Zhiming’s group. The gang replied they didn’t know; every time they saw Chen Zhiming, they felt compelled to rob him. Jiang Wuyou could only sigh in exasperation, realizing why that fellow wanted constant protection. This youth was a magnet for misfortune; trouble always seemed to find him.

With the chest of gold recovered, money was no longer a concern. The group wandered throughout Muyun Prefecture. If not for Chen Zhiming’s reminder, they nearly forgot their purpose for coming. They soon followed Yu Ansheng to Wubang County.

Wubang County, Yu Family.

Inside the Yu family home, a heated argument was underway over who would inherit the house deed. Yu Ansheng, on the road to Wubang, was unaware that his own home was being divided up. Meanwhile, they discussed the greatness of Muyun Prefecture and its superiority over Tianyu Prefecture, but when pressed about which place was best, Chen Zhiming still favored Tianyu. Even Gu Wen, who had lived unhappily, preferred Tianyu. Though Yu Ansheng hadn’t stayed long in Tianyu, spending only a month in Lingwu, he too thought highly of Tianyu.

To avoid walking, Jiang Wuyou rented a carriage. For Chen Zhiming and his companions, it was their first time riding one. They peered around curiously like country folk seeing the world for the first time. Jiang Wuyou sat calmly at the front, nodding in agreement when Lingwu was praised. The group asked him where he had traveled and what beauty he had seen, and which place was the best. After pondering, Jiang Wuyou softly replied, “The most beautiful place in this world is Flower City; the most solemn is the Capital; the most dangerous is beyond the borders. But in my view, Tianyu is best—its customs are fine, its people kind, but above all, Lingwu stands out. Do you know why Lingwu is so special?”

They shook their heads.

He continued, “Lingwu is a magical place. The world divides people by rank, but only Tianyu’s Lingwu treats everyone as equals. There is no hierarchy, at least in my view. Every person’s perspective differs, so the best place is for you to discover yourselves.”

The group nodded, half understanding. At that moment, the carriage stopped. They poked their heads out, and the driver told them they had arrived at Wubang County. They asked to be taken to the Yu family’s door, but the driver adamantly refused, saying just accepting this job had already cost him his reputation. Even merchants and travelers avoided this place, and drivers had marked it as forbidden, finding it disgraceful and unpleasant to linger.

They didn’t press the driver and let him go. Looking at the muddy road ahead, Chen Zhiming and his companions hesitated, as the place was filthy. It lacked the appearance of a proper county—houses were dilapidated, and streets were covered in mud. Yu Ansheng scratched his head awkwardly, laughing, “We have no merchants or travelers here, nor visitors from elsewhere. There’s no income, some struggle even to feed themselves, let alone repair homes and streets.”

Hearing this, the group understood why this place couldn’t compare to even half of Lingwu.

The road was tough, but for Yu Ansheng’s sake, they pressed on. Their arrival breathed life into this lifeless county. Muyun Prefecture, as the second in Jinwu, boasted towering buildings, shops and taverns twice as plentiful as in Tianyu, and scholars and literati filled the streets, everywhere reciting poetry and competing in verse.

But Wubang County was like a mud spot beneath the white clouds—one in the sky, one on the ground. Nothing but ruin, no tall buildings, just a magnified version of poverty and backwardness.

Walking down the street, passersby hurriedly avoided them, then secretly peeked from hidden corners, curious about these strangers but afraid to approach. A little girl, only a few years old, poked her head out to watch them, but upon noticing their gaze, she bolted away. The group wondered if they truly appeared so frightening.

They didn’t linger, wishing only to find Yu Ansheng’s uncle. Upon arriving, they decided to first visit Yu Ansheng’s parents. After several turns, they stopped before a house that, to their surprise, was in utter disrepair, looking uninhabitable.

Yu Ansheng’s face changed. He rushed inside, followed by the others. The place was a mess—nothing useful remained, only discarded objects scattered everywhere.

“Come look at this,” Gu Wen pointed.

They walked over and saw what she indicated.

“A white ribbon?” Chen Zhiming exclaimed in surprise.

Yu Ansheng grabbed it, pulling the ribbon buried in dirt out, along with two memorial tablets underneath.

Seeing the names, Yu Ansheng suddenly knelt, shaking his head in disbelief at the abrupt tragedy.

Jiang Wuyou noticed another white ribbon peeking out beneath his feet. When Yu Ansheng yanked it, more ribbons emerged, along with funeral couplets. Jiang Wuyou hung the ribbon on a broken pillar, letting it drape as if recreating the day of the funeral.

Yu Ansheng knelt, embracing his parents’ tablets. Chen Zhiming recalled the little girl’s words about her father sending off an old friend for the last time, and judging by the timing, Yu Ansheng’s parents must have died just days after he left.

The wind in Wubang County rose, stirring the ribbons and chilling Yu Ansheng’s heart. He wept bitterly, and as Chen Zhiming moved to comfort him, Jiang Wuyou stopped him. The three quietly stepped outside. Jiang Wuyou said, “This place is strange—many have died, and the living aren’t much better off.”

The little girl who had run away earlier was now hiding nearby, spying on them, unaware that Jiang Wuyou stood right behind her. He grabbed her collar and brought her forward. Gu Wen crouched to comfort the trembling child. After a moment, she calmed, and Gu Wen asked why she followed them. The girl said her parents had died recently, and people in the county seized her home. Her parents’ bodies hadn’t even been properly buried. Fortunately, she met a kind uncle from outside who gave her food, helped bury her parents, and reclaimed her house. But the uncle would eventually leave, and feeling sorry for her, decided to take her away when he returned. Not only did he help her, but he also buried another couple in town, telling her they were his sister’s family.

But then the uncle mysteriously vanished. She’d overheard adults say he went to a place called Nandu, so she waited for him to return and take her away.

Hearing this, Chen Zhiming realized the uncle who helped the girl was likely Yu Ansheng’s uncle. Yet he couldn’t understand why, with someone handling affairs, the Yu family’s home was still so ruined.

He asked, but the girl’s face filled with fear. She stammered, “It was the people of the county. When the uncle was gone, they took everything valuable from my house, broke it beyond repair, making it unlivable. They did the same to the uncle’s sister’s house, taking everything and destroying it.”

Chen Zhiming asked if she knew exactly who was responsible. Jiang Wuyou sneered, “I suspect everyone in the county was involved.” His gaze swept the surroundings, where people hid behind walls, eavesdropping.

Yu Ansheng emerged, having overheard the girl’s story. He asked where his parents were buried, and the girl offered to guide them, as she didn’t wish to stay. But after a few steps, she fainted. Chen Zhiming caught her, and the group gathered in concern. Jiang Wuyou remained calm, watching their surroundings.

“How is she?” Gu Wen asked anxiously as Chen Zhiming checked her pulse.

Chen Zhiming sighed in relief, “She’s only fainted from hunger, nothing serious. Looks like we won’t be able to go today.” He glanced at Yu Ansheng, who nodded, “That’s fine. It’s already dark; let’s leave this for tomorrow. Right now, saving her is most important,” he said, pointing to the unconscious girl.

They found a relatively clean spot in the ruined house and built a fire. Yu Ansheng held his parents’ tablets throughout, still unable to accept what had happened.

“My condolences,” Chen Zhiming said softly. Gu Wen, too, was unusually quiet.

Then Chen Zhiming turned to Yu Ansheng, “By the way, do you know what kind of place Nandu is?”

Yu Ansheng pondered for a long time, but found no memory of Nandu. He was puzzled—he didn’t even know such a place existed in Muyun, so how did his uncle know of it? Perhaps it didn’t exist at all, and his uncle had gone somewhere else.

Jiang Wuyou, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, “Nandu is the old site of Muyun—a place Muyun would rather not mention.”

His words piqued everyone’s interest.

He waved his fan and began to speak, much like the storytellers of Lingwu...

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