In my dreams, I had finally grown accustomed to the weightlessness of floating upon a vast sea, only to feel the world begin to jolt and sway once more.
When I finally drifted into consciousness, the sensation of turbulence did not fade; it was no illusion.
Ye Tan was carrying me on his back along a narrow path. Houses were scattered here and there among the trees, and as the evening shadows lengthened, thin trails of cooking smoke began to rise. It was already near dusk.
Was he taking me for a stroll?
"Ah-Tan?" My voice was hoarse, so low it was practically a mutter to myself, yet Ye Tan caught it instantly.
"Master is awake? How do you feel?"
"Where are we going...?"
Ye Tan did not break his stride. "This subordinate does not know our destination. The Eldest Young Master ordered us to leave."
"Hm?"
"The Eldest Young Master said that a great battle will soon break out near Zhongli Court, and he feared we might be caught in the crossfire. After all, this subordinate... is currently not confident in his ability to ensure Master’s safety. It is better to avoid it if we can." He paused, then added with a respectful plea for forgiveness, "It was this subordinate’s own initiative to leave. I beg Master to punish me later."
"A great battle?" I shifted my weight on Ye Tan’s back, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Zhongli Court is at the height of its power. Does it truly have such formidable enemies?"
"In recent years, the Second Young Master has forced many small sects to surrender. His methods were perhaps a bit... aggressive at times. It is likely that some are dissatisfied." Ye Tan thought for a moment before adding, "This subordinate lived within those high walls for many years and is not entirely clear on how the outside world views him."
I sighed inwardly. Only a few days ago, I had heard Ze Que praising Zhongli Zixi for his magnanimity and for repaying grievances with kindness.
Still, did we really have to trek all this way on foot?
Thinking about how we had left Changluo, I realized I was getting further and further away from my "Master Codebook." Oh well. I never knew where to input the codes anyway. I only remembered that the money modification code was 23333, but even having it was useless without a way to open the cheat engine...
Wait a minute.
The startup sequence for the cheat engine was definitely triggered by a physical action. Could the codes themselves be actions as well?
If I had to use my body to gesture the numbers, wouldn't that just be hand signs?
At that thought, I lifted my hand and silently traced the numbers in the air: two, three, three, three, three.
Sure enough, a familiar small cursor popped up before my eyes. It was the same icon the system had shown me before my last disastrous "rollback," asking where I wanted to place the money.
I had learned my lesson this time. I moved the cursor to the palm of my left hand, cautiously entered a "1," and then, struck by a sudden inspiration, made an "OK" sign.
My hand suddenly grew heavy. A small fragment of gold had appeared in an instant.
My eyes nearly filled with tears of joy.
The dignity of this Creator God had finally, at long last, been partially restored.
"Ah-Tan, Ah-Tan." I suppressed my excitement and patted his shoulder. "Let’s find the nearest town and take a rest."
"Is Master unwell? Did I walk too fast...?" Ye Tan asked, his voice sharp with alertness.
I replied with newfound confidence, "No. I need to go to a money exchange to withdraw a modest sum of pocket change."
I had thought it through.
The last time I messed up and triggered a rollback wasn't because the amount of gold was too large, but because someone saw it appear out of thin air.
Therefore, from now on, I had to control the amounts. If I absolutely had to modify a large sum, I had to do it flawlessly, without a single leak. I couldn't let anyone see gold falling from the sky... No, to be safe, I couldn't even let anyone be able to trace the money back to an unknown source. I was afraid that if everything went smoothly and my business grew too large, it would arouse suspicion and lead to an investigation. If I had to roll back the save then, years of hard work and all my efforts would go down the drain.
To put it simply, I needed to launder the money.
I was itching to try.
Under the cover of twilight, we slipped into a county town. Several money exchanges along the road had not yet closed for the night. Ye Tan picked one with a clean storefront and stopped before it.
"I need to go in alone," I said.
"No, this subordinate will accompany you." Ye Tan’s expression was resolute.
How could that work? You’re the number one risk factor for another rollback.
"Ah-Tan, I don't want to make up some nonsense excuse to deceive you," I said candidly. "But this matter must be kept from you. I know you are an expert at concealment; if you truly wanted to follow me, I would have no way to stop you. It’s just a pity that all my hard work will eventually come to naught."
Ye Tan said, "Master’s words are too heavy. It is just... in your current condition, this subordinate truly cannot rest easy."
He was right. I was struggling even to stand.
"It’s fine, I only need a moment. If you have nothing to do..." I thought for a bit. "Go buy some supper. I’m hungry."
Ye Tan was silent for a moment before responding, "Very well. This subordinate will return shortly."
He gently set me down at the entrance. Only after making sure I was leaning steadily against the wall did he leave, looking quite worried.
I summoned my strength and entered the shop. Inside sat a lean, middle-aged man cracking melon seeds, while a fair-skinned young clerk behind the counter was busy with the accounts. Seeing a customer, the older man gave a warm greeting but then retreated further inside to continue his snacking.
"Is the gentleman here to deposit money?" the young clerk asked.
"To exchange for some banknotes... though a deposit wouldn't hurt either," I replied, focusing intently on my footing.
Seeing how much I struggled to walk, the youth hurried out from behind the counter to help me sit. Fortunately, there were chairs in the lobby; they were a temporary salvation. I caught my breath and handed him the gold I had just modified into existence.
"How much is here, sir?"
"Ten taels," I said casually. Then I remembered something—I had intended to make it an even ten, but with the one tael from my first experiment, it should actually be eleven.
Forget it. It was a minor detail, not worth the effort to explain.
"I must weigh it myself. Please wait a moment, sir." The clerk took it to the back to use the scales. After a long while, he asked hesitantly, "Sir, is it... ten taels?"
The sound of cracking melon seeds behind the door suddenly grew louder.
I smiled and asked, "What else would it be?"
The clerk said hurriedly, "I—I will go get the banknotes." He scurried off and returned a moment later with a thick stack of silver certificates.
"Sir, are you very ill?" he asked, his face full of concern as he pressed the notes into my hand.
"Indeed," I said, rubbing my chin. "I am terminally ill and at death's door."
His expression turned tragic, filled with panic. I couldn't bear to tease him further and laughed. "It’s nothing. There will be a turning point. Thank you for your concern, little brother."
I took my leave and walked out of the shop with heavy, difficult steps. I scanned the surroundings and finally spotted Ye Tan sitting far off on the roof of a nearby house. He was watching the misty sunset, his profile sharp and resilient. When he looked at me, his gaze was always soft and submissive, but only now did I realize that when he was alone, he was lonely and guarded—like the layer of ice that forms on a pine tree in the depths of winter.
"Ah-Tan!" I waved. "What are you doing up there?"
He turned and saw me, and the cold pine transformed into autumn waters. Like all the evening clouds and spring trees of the world, everything felt complete and at peace.
With a graceful leap, Ye Tan landed before me. He supported me and said, "If I were any closer, I feared I would overhear the conversation inside."
"You aren't angry at all? I’m actually feeling a bit guilty now." I stuffed all the banknotes into his robes and climbed back onto his back, twirling a lock of his hair around my finger.
"Why should I be angry?" Ye Tan asked, his voice sounding genuinely bewildered as he carried me in search of an inn.
"I’m keeping things from you."
"Is that not as it should be?" Ye Tan replied.
This man’s education was seriously flawed; his worldview was truly problematic. I sighed. "Is there nothing else in your head besides notions of social hierarchy?"
Ye Tan argued, "It is loyalty and righteousness."
"If you do not distinguish truth from lies, or right from wrong, how do you know if you are upholding justice or aiding a tyrant?" I asked, tirelessly trying to teach him.
Ye Tan found the question bizarre. "I simply follow Master’s orders. Why should I care about right or wrong, good or evil?"
...
This poor kid. There was just no getting through to him.
Sigh. I’ll sleep first and argue tomorrow.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 银票 | Banknotes / Silver certificates | Paper currency used in historical China, exchangeable for silver or gold. |
| 钱庄 | Money exchange / Bank | A traditional Chinese financial institution. |
| 两 | Tael | A traditional Chinese unit of weight, often used for silver and gold. |
| 殃及池鱼 | Caught in the crossfire | Lit. "The fish in the pond are affected [by the fire on the city gate]." An idiom for innocent bystanders suffering. |
| 暮云春树 | Evening clouds and spring trees | An idiom expressing the longing for a distant friend, here used to describe a sense of peaceful completion. |
| 匡扶正义 | Upholding justice | To support or restore what is right. |
| 助纣为虐 | Aiding a tyrant | Lit. "Helping King Zhou in his cruelties." To help a bad person do evil. |
