“Whom did you give it to?” Yideng asked.
Before Huang Rong could answer the scholar took the drawing from his pocket and presented it with both hands. “Disciple has it,” he said, “Shifu has not finished meditation just now, I have not presented it to Shifu yet.”
Yideng held out his hand to take the drawing, he smiled to Huang Rong and said, “You see, if you did not mention it, I wouldn’t know a thing.” Slowly he opened up the drawing and looked at it; he knew what the drawing meant. He smiled and said, “Turned out others were afraid I would not help you and sent this drawing to stir me up. Don’t you think they underestimated the Old Monk too much?”
Huang Rong turned her head to see anxiety and deep concern on the scholar and the farmer’s faces; she felt strange. “Why is it that when they heard their Shifu promise to treat me they looked like they are losing their lifeblood? Is the medicine the most precious pill that they hate to give it up?” She turned her head back to see Yideng was carefully examining the drawing. He brought it under the sunlight to see the quality of the paper, he lightly flicked it several times; his face showed suspicions.
“Did Ying Gu draw this picture?” he asked Huang Rong.
“Yes,” Huang Rong answered.
Yideng was silent for half a day then asked again, “Did you see it with your own eyes when she did it?”
Huang Rong knew something was amiss; she tried to recollect what happened that time and said, “When Ying Gu wrote those, her back was toward us. I saw her pen moved, but I did not see with my own eyes whether she was writing or drawing.”
“You said she gave you two other pouches; let me see the contents of the other pouches,” Yideng said.
Guo Jing took the pouches from his pocket and Yideng examined them; his face changed slightly. “Indeed that is so,” he muttered softly. He gave the three sheets of paper to Huang Rong and said, “Yao Xiong is an expert in calligraphy and paintings; your educational background came from your family, certainly you understand connoisseurship. Why don’t you take a look at these three sheets and tell me what you think.”
Huang Rong took the papers to take a look and immediately said, “These two sheets are ordinary ‘yu ban zhi’ [jade register paper], but the drawing was made on a ‘jiu jian zhi’ [old cocoon paper], a rarely seen type of paper.”
Yideng nodded his head, “Hmm, in calligraphy and painting I am a layman, what do you think about this drawing?”
Huang Rong examined the drawing carefully; she smiled and said, “Uncle is only pretending to be a layman! You have known from the start that it was not Ying Gu who draw this picture.”
Yideng’s countenance slightly changed, “Then it is true it was not her painting? I am only guessing based on logic, I really was not looking at the drawing.”
Huang Rong tugged his arm, saying, “Uncle, look, the writing on these two sheets of paper are delicate and elegant while the stroke on this drawing is very stiff. Hmm, this drawing is made by a man. Yes, I am sure it is a man’s pen-stroke. This man did not know a thing about calligraphy or painting, but his pen-stroke is powerful, it even penetrated the paper to its back … This ink looked very old, I think it is even older than my own age.”
Reverend Yideng heaved a heavy sigh; he pointed his finger to a book on top of a bamboo table, signaling the scholar to fetch it. The scholar walked over and fetched it, and handed it over to his master. Huang Rong saw on the yellowing page of the cover two rows of characters that read, ‘The Great Buddist Scripture by Maming Bodhisattva. Translated by ‘san cang jiu mo luo shen’ [name of a saint] of Guizi in the Western Region.’ She thought, “I am not going to understand anything if he starts preaching to me.”
Yideng casually flipped open the cover of the book, put the drawing next to it and said, “Take a look.”
“Ah!” Huang Rong softly exclaimed, “The same paper quality.” Yideng nodded.
Guo Jing did not understand, he whispered, “What paper quality is the same?”
Huang Rong said, “Look carefully, isn’t the paper quality of this book the same as that drawing?”
Guo Jing looked over carefully; the paper of the book was coarse and thick, mixed with strands of yellow silk threads, exactly the same as the paper of the drawing. “They are the same,” he said, “So what?”
Huang Rong did not reply, she looked at Reverend Yideng, waiting for an explanation.
Reverend Yideng said, “This book was brought by my martial brother from the western region.”
During the entire time Guo Jing and Huang Rong talked to Yideng, they had not paid any attention to the Indian monk; only now did they turn their gaze to him. He was sitting cross-legged on the meditation mat, as if he was oblivious to the discussion of these people.
“This book came from the western region, this drawing also came from the western region,” Yideng continued, “Have you ever heard of the western region’s White Camel Mountain?”
Huang Rong was startled, “Western Poison Ouyang Feng?” she asked.
Yideng slowly nodded, “Correct,” he said, “This picture was drawn by Ouyang Feng.” Hearing this Guo Jing and Huang Rong were shocked and could not say anything for a while.
Yideng smiled and said, “This Ouyang fellow had planned this for a long time; he truly anticipated far ahead.”
“Uncle,” Huang Rong said, “I didn’t know this drawing came from the Old Poison; this man always harbors evil intentions.”
Yideng smiled and said, “For a Nine Yin Manual men can do great things.”
“This drawing has something to do with the Nine Yin Manual?” Huang Rong asked.
Yideng saw her excitement and surprise, he noticed her cheeks turned red; looked like she was straining and was able to stay awake due to her strong internal energy. Thereupon Yideng held out his hand to support her right arm and said, “Let’s talk about this some other time, right now it is more important to treat your injury.”
Yideng helped her up and walked slowly toward the building next door. When they arrived at the door opening, the scholar and the farmer exchanged a glance and together they rushed toward the door. They knelt down and said, “Shifu, let your disciples try to treat this Miss’ injury.”
Yideng shook his head, “Do you think your skill is sufficient? Can you treat her until she is completely cured?”
The scholar and the farmer said, “Disciples will try to do our best.”
Yideng’s face turned serious. “Human life is an important matter, how can you easily try?”
The scholar said, “These two came here by some evil people’s direction; definitely without any good intention. Although Shifu’s mercy is abundant, you can’t fall into evil people’s treacherous plan.”
Yideng heaved a sighed, “What did I teach you day in and day out? Go and take a good look at this picture.” While speaking he gave the drawing in his hand away.