The coach station was somewhat noisy in the early morning, a mix of the low hum of engines and the buzzing of people talking. Chen Yuanchu stood under the station sign, holding a bottle of glucose water he had just bought, lowering his head to take a sip.
The sweetness was very direct, not carrying the complexity of floral scents like honey, nor was it as heavy as cane sugar; it bore a purity and freshness unique to industrial refinement. Although it offered no substantial help to his magic power, the surge of physical energy after drinking it was tangible.
Feeling good, he poured a little into his palm and offered it to the small black head poking out from the gap in his backpack zipper, letting the black cat inside have a taste.
Taking advantage of the wait for the bus, Chen Yuanchu took out his phone and, with slightly unpracticed fingers, swiped across the screen to bring up a map app and check the route to Yunxi No. 1 Middle School. As a Taoist priest of the new era, he had long grown accustomed to using these modern tools to locate unfamiliar destinations, unlike his Master who, knowing only a general direction, would take a compass, treat it like a guide, and stride straight there on two legs.
It is said that in the mountains, there is no calendar; when the cold ends, one knows not the year.
The scenery on the mountain remains the same year after year, but the world below changes with each passing day. Chen Yuanchu remembered when he was young, there was a lively small coach station in the town, but it had long since closed, replaced by this kind of long-distance bus. To go from the town to the county seat or the city, most young people chose to drive themselves or take rideshares; only the elderly who wanted to save money and had time to spare were willing to take this slow bus that passed through over twenty stops.
But for Chen Yuanchu, this was already much more convenient than measuring the mountain roads with his own two legs. If he hadn't been busy handling his Master's funeral affairs in the mountains these past few days, he would have originally planned to set off two days early and walk straight from the mountains to the city.
The K305 urban-rural bus slowly pulled into the station.
Chen Yuanchu bought a ticket and boarded; the terminal was the county seat, and the fare was ten yuan. It was the eight o'clock morning rush hour, and the carriage was packed with people, the aisle standing room only. Seeing no empty seats, he had to grab a handrail to steady himself. To avoid getting in others' way, and fearing someone might squeeze the cat in his bag, he swung his backpack to his front, cradling it in his arms.
The black cat seemed full of curiosity about its surroundings, poking half its head out from the zipper gap, its dark, glossy eyes looking here and there.
The priest and the cat were looking at others, and others were looking at them too.
Chen Yuanchu's traditional Taoist robe stood out glaringly amidst a crowd of modern casual wear. However, he was used to it; wearing a Taoist robe was only natural for a Taoist priest, and he had long since mastered the ability to turn a blind eye to the curious gazes of onlookers. Occasionally, devout men and women would come up to talk or greet him, mostly pressing their palms together. Although this wasn't standard in Taoist etiquette—the cupped-hand salute was more appropriate—he didn't mind. Etiquette was merely form; the intention was what counted.
The bus drove slowly along, the scenery outside the window changing like a revolving lantern. The black cat grew tired of looking and shrank back into the bag to sleep soundly, but Chen Yuanchu kept his eyes on the window, watching the retreating streetscapes and buildings.
Fifty minutes later, the bus arrived at the county terminal, which was also the starting station for the next bus to the city.
Chen Yuanchu got off with his bag on his back and smoothly transferred to the 702 route. Having stood the whole way, there were finally empty seats on this bus. He found a window seat in the middle-to-back row, sat down, let out a long breath, and patiently waited for the vehicle to start.
Passengers boarded one by one at the starting station. Strangers mostly maintained a tacit social distance; seeing plenty of empty seats, those traveling alone each found a single seat. It wasn't until the bus passed one stop that the empty seats quickly thinned out.
Chen Yuanchu turned his head to look out the window. As he waited for departure, a light, brisk sound of wind suddenly reached his ears, and the air seemed to carry a fragrance unique to young girls.
The girl moved quickly; her small bottom occupied half the seat before her bell-like voice followed:
"Hello! Is anyone sitting here?"
She was half-bent towards him, her shoulder-length black hair swaying gently with the movement. The ends were trimmed like willow shoots in early spring, sweeping past her ear tips with a slightly unruly curve. Under her short-sleeved uniform, a segment of her pale white arm clutched her backpack strap, looking as if she would immediately apologize and find another seat if Chen Yuanchu said 'someone'.
"No one's sitting here. Go ahead."
"Oh! Thank you!"
Hearing Chen Yuanchu's reply, the girl moved the other half of her bottom into the seat, hugging her heavy backpack to her chest and letting out a very comfortable sigh.
Perhaps feeling she wasn't being ladylike enough, she smiled at Chen Yuanchu somewhat sheepishly. Sunlight slanted in through the bus window, landing right on her pretty, turned face; her sharp left canine tooth pressed against her lip, and her youthful, lovely cheeks were flushed with a thin redness from the exertion.
Perhaps the vitality in this scene was too vigorous; even Chen Yuanchu felt the twilight air about him fade a little.
The bus started up again.
The scenery outside began to move, and Chen Yuanchu continued looking out the window. The glass faintly reflected the figure of the girl beside him—he saw her take out her phone, then open her backpack, seemingly rummaging for something. After a while, her small expression became distressed, and she whispered to herself: "Oh no, I forgot my headphones..."
A moment later, she seemed to give up on listening to music. But the journey was long, and unlike Chen Yuanchu, she couldn't settle down. So, following the curiosity in her heart, she took the initiative to start a conversation with him:
"Um, are you doing cosplay?"
"Hmm?" Chen Yuanchu turned his head in confusion.
"...You're really a Taoist priest?"
"Yes."
"Oh, oh, sorry! I saw you were young, so I thought you were doing cosplay. You're actually a real priest...!"
The girl looked quite surprised. She wanted to look at him but was afraid of offending him, yet unable to suppress her curiosity, she resorted to stealing glances from time to time.
Chen Yuanchu didn't know what 'cosplay' meant, but he could guess from the context that it was something like role-playing. Since the girl was so naturally friendly, he answered with interest, "Then are you a student?"
"I'm wearing a uniform, obviously."
"I'm wearing Taoist robes too."
"That's exactly why... because it's rare. Are you really a Taoist priest?"
"Yes."
"That's amazing," the girl clicked her tongue. "We look about the same age. I thought Taoist priests all had to be... uh..."
"What?"
"Just, at least quite old, right?"
—If he wasn't old, no one would believe him when he tried to fool people!
The girl couldn't quite articulate what she imagined a Taoist priest should look like; after all, she had almost no contact with this profession in real life. Her only 'understanding' came from movies and novels, where Taoists were generally otherworldly, magically omnipotent, capable of exorcising demons and catching ghosts, and upholding the righteous way.
Come on, this was modern society, the age of technology; she wouldn't be so delusional as to think Chen Yuanchu was like that.
"Then... can you tell fortunes?..."
"Yes."
"What about praying for blessings?"
"Yes."
"Exorcising spirits?"
"Yes."
"..."
The girl's eyes went round, her small face written with disbelief. These things sounded so mystical, and he said he could do them all? And he was so young?
She finally asked the question she wanted to ask most: "So... are these things real?"
Chen Yuanchu smiled, not minding her curiosity, but didn't answer directly, saying only, "If you believe, they are real."
"I know that! 'Sincerity brings results'," the girl nodded, looking enlightened, finally letting go of these strange questions. She turned her head and became curious about more mundane matters. "So, do you Taoists have to go to school?"
Chen Yuanchu wanted to say no, but remembering what this trip was for, he had to nod and say, "We do too."
"Then have you ever been to school?"
"No."
"..."
What the heck? He said one has to go to school, but he hasn't suffered the bitterness of learning himself!
Hearing this, the girl looked envious. "Being a Taoist really is better. No school, no exams, just cultivating in the mountains every day? That life sounds way too comfortable..."
"You don't like school?"
"No. It's exhausting."
Perhaps Chen Yuanchu's upright Daoist robes had lowered her guard. Once the floodgates opened, she began to complain without stopping.
"You have no idea. We practically didn't get a summer vacation this year. We kept making up classes until the day before yesterday, then only got two days off, and even then we got a pile of worksheets and homework. I was doing them until after midnight last night and still didn't finish. Then I had to get up after seven this morning to keep rushing through them before heading back to school. I'm so tired..."
"Mm. What grade are you in?"
"Second year of high school. What time did you get up?"
"Five."
"...Then where did you come from?"
"Walked mountain roads for two hours, then rode the bus for one."
"...!!"
What kind of Taoist was this? He was made of iron.
After hearing that, the girl turned and looked him over in shock. There was no way to connect his energetic expression with "got up at five, walked two hours through the mountains, then rode a bus for one." If it were her, she would have died on the way. Could this little Daoist really have some kind of magic?
"How do you do that... Don't you Taoists get tired?"
"Drink a little of this, and it's fine."
Chen Yuanchu smiled and raised the bottle of glucose water in his hand.
The girl laughed too.
A Taoist drinking glucose water really was an odd sight.