“You haven’t heard? The master lost his way earlier, and now Young Master has helped him find it!” Before William Brooks could respond, another man with a scarred face and a cloth headscarf had already jumped in to offer a “reasonable” explanation on his behalf.

“Lost his way? Plenty of people get lost—when have you ever seen someone go mad from it?!” The bearded man, clearly with a knack for arguing, immediately turned his head toward the scarred face and loudly retorted.

“Isn’t it obvious? The master is definitely not an ordinary person! Haven’t you noticed that everything he’s wearing is something we’ve never seen before?” The scarred man lifted his head proudly, adding with an air of mystery. (Note 1: If this line were written in classical Chinese, it would be: The master is no ordinary man; are you all blind? What the master wears… But that would be too tiring to read, so I’ve rendered it in modern Chinese. Same below.)

This immediately made the people around nod repeatedly.

From the first moment they saw Peter Bolton, they had actually noticed his unusual attire. But, first, because they were strangers, and second, because their young master Brian Brooks hadn’t spoken, everyone tacitly avoided bringing it up.

Now, with the scarred man breaking the silence, everyone lost their reservations. One after another, they began whispering about Peter Bolton, lowering their voices to comment and judge. After all, they all knew that no matter what they said, Master Bolton definitely wouldn’t understand.

“Stop calling him ‘master’ all the time. Young Master Bolton said he’s not a master!”

“If he’s not a master, why is his hair so short?!”

“If he is a master, why isn’t he wearing a kasaya, just an undergarment on top?!”

“That’s not an undergarment. Have you ever seen anyone’s undergarment made of such fine, smooth material as the master’s?”

“Even if he’s not a master, he’s definitely not an ordinary person. Whose trousers could withstand a full-force swipe from a vicious wolf?”

“Didn’t the master just say it’s canvas, what cowherds wear!”

“You actually believe what the master says? You’re dumber than a pig! The master is just being modest! Look at the boats on the Wei River—has any boat ever used the same fabric for its sails?”

“Shh, keep it down. William Brooks said the master’s mind is clouded with phlegm! He can’t take any agitation!”

“You’re telling me? Your voice is louder than anyone’s!”

……

“All right, enough! Stop arguing!” The noisy chatter around him was giving him a splitting headache. Brian Brooks suddenly waved his arm, ordering everyone to be quiet. “William Brooks, is there any way to treat the master?!”

“Difficult, very difficult!” The family retainer William Brooks, who had not joined the argument until now, shook his head, his face grave. “The secret recipe says to use cinnabar, calcined and taken internally, to relieve the phlegm. But right now, we don’t have any cinnabar, and there’s definitely none at the manor.”

“What’s so hard about that? Go buy it in the city, right away!” Brian Brooks, clearly from a wealthy family, didn’t hesitate to spend money.

William Brooks thought for a moment, then gently shook his head again. “Young Master! The city gates are about to close. It’s too late to go buy it in Chang’an now. And if we wait until tomorrow, the master’s mind could be completely blocked by phlegm, and then…”

“What’s the point of saying so much? Owen Brooks, Ethan Brooks, you two, go to the city and buy cinnabar right now!” Brian Brooks was getting anxious and, not waiting for William Brooks to finish, made a decisive order. “Once you get it, find Guo Family’s second son for help—at any cost, get the cinnabar out of the city! William Brooks, if you need any other medicinal ingredients, tell them now!”

“Yes!” The two men with cloth headscarves, who had been patrolling the mountain road on horseback, answered in unison. So, their names weren’t “Ren Wu” and “Ren Lu,” but rather, Owen Brooks and Ethan Brooks!

“Young Master, wait!” The family retainer William Brooks refused to let his young master act recklessly, frowning and raising his voice in protest. “There was just a major upheaval in Chang’an a few days ago—the crown prince was deposed, and hundreds were beheaded. If you break curfew and climb over the city walls at night…”

“I said, at any cost.” Brian Brooks glanced at him and interrupted in a deep voice. “Have you forgotten why we came into the mountains today? I’ve searched for a great teacher for years, and all I’ve met are swindlers or madmen. Today, thanks to David Thompson’s guidance, I finally met a true master. If I miss this chance again, won’t I regret it for life?!”

“This…” William Brooks instinctively wanted to remind him that David Thompson was just a fraud! But thinking of how much his young master Brian Brooks had sacrificed over the years in search of a true master, he sighed and swallowed his words.

Daoist David Thompson of Baiyun Temple in Chang’an might be a fraud. But his young master Brian Brooks’s desire to find a true master was absolutely genuine.

Ever since he was eight, the young master Brian Brooks had been obsessed with all sorts of strange tales, wishing every day that he could, like the legends, become a disciple of a reclusive master and turn into a sword immortal who could fly and kill from a thousand miles away. Over the years, he had suffered all kinds of hardships and spent countless sums of money, but never wavered.

Fortunately, the old master Emily Brooks was skilled at making money. Every year, besides the income from the estate, he could also collect huge profits from shops in Chang’an. Otherwise, even if the family had a mountain of gold, it wouldn’t be enough for Young Master to squander!