I served as Li Bai's page.

"Young Master, you've stayed here for a while now, seen all the beautiful scenery, and thought through all the issues you needed to consider. Tomorrow we'll go see your old friend Yuan Danqiu," I said.

"No rush, let me think about it some more. Jade Maiden Peak is truly a wonderful place."

At this moment, Yang Shanren came to find Li Bai. Seeing Li Bai gazing thoughtfully at the pine-lined stream, he said loudly, "Brother Taibai, the Jade Maiden Peak is high and the road is steep, which is not conducive to the great roc spreading its wings. Compose your mind and you can set off again."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Yang. I will come back to accompany you in your cultivation when I have time. Yuehua and I will be leaving tomorrow. Please take care of everything here," Li Bai said.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of this house for you. Let's have a few drinks tonight."

Hearing that Li Bai had agreed to set off, I happily fetched a jar of wine and two cups, placing them on the stone table. I filled the cups for Li Bai and Yang Shanren, saying, "You two, drink tonight! If you get drunk, I'll help you to bed."

"We need to prepare some dishes to go with the wine, so we can get drunk," Li Bai said.

"Yes, young master, I'll do it right away."

Li Bai and Yang Shanren sat at a stone table and drank for several hours, but neither of them got drunk. After they finished drinking, Li Bai personally escorted Yang Shanren back to his residence.

Knowing I was leaving the next day, I packed everything while Li Bai was away. What I wanted to take was in my luggage, and what I didn't want to take was stored in a wooden box. When Li Bai returned and saw that everything was packed, he sighed and said, "I really wish I could stay here forever."

"Young Master, you can't go back on your word to Master Yang. Go to sleep. We'll set off to find Yuan Danqiu tomorrow," I said.

Li Bai remained silent, lingered in front of the house for a long time, sighed deeply, and went back inside to sleep.

I saw that Li Bai was asleep, and my heart finally settled down. I slept soundly and peacefully.

The next day, after breakfast, I led two horses out of the stable, let them drink their fill in the stream, tied the luggage to the horses, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and called into the house, "Young master, it's time to set off."

Li Bai reluctantly came out and locked the door. The two of us led our horses down the mountain, and Yang Shanren waved to us from his platform.

After descending the mountain, Li Bai and I mounted our horses and rode westward. We traversed the mountain streams, crossing countless valleys, until we finally reached the foot of Ziyun Mountain. Thinking of the narrow, winding path that led up the mountain, my heart leaped into my throat.

"Young Master, is there no other way to reach Ziyun Cave? Last time, our horses couldn't even make it up that path."

"I don't know either, let's ask someone." Li Bai said, leading me to search left and right at the foot of the mountain. We came to the back of Ziyun Mountain, where dense forests blocked our view. Instinctively, we knew that Ziyun Cave was halfway up the mountain directly ahead. We jumped off our horses and searched for a path up the mountain, but to no avail. Just as we were hesitating whether to return to the front of the mountain, a person came out of the valley beside us. The person stared at Li Bai and me and exclaimed, "What brings you here, Brother Taibai?"

When I looked, I realized it was Yuan Danqiu. I hadn't seen him for several years, and he had grown a beard and was wearing a straw hat. At first glance, I really couldn't recognize him.

Li Bai hugged Yuan Danqiu tightly and said, "Danqiu Sheng, my good brother, I've missed you so much!"

Yuan Danqiu said, "I miss you too. Last year I went to Anlu and saw your daughter Pingyang, and your sister-in-law who was six months pregnant."

"How are they?" Li Bai asked.

"Everything is fine. They're living on Baizhao Mountain. They told me to tell you when I see you to bring Yuehua home as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Li Bai's face was streaked with tears, and he sobbed, "I have accomplished nothing; I have no face to go back and see them."

"Brother Taibai, you mustn't think like that. No matter what, they and I are your family, and we would never look down on you. Besides, you're not a complete failure; your talent in poetry and prose is unmatched in our Tang Dynasty. Don't be sad, come on, let's go up the mountain."

Li Bai and I led our horses and followed Yuan Danqiu along a small path on the side of the back mountain to Ziyun Cave. I tied the horses to the pine trees outside the cave and went inside. Several years had passed, and nothing had changed in the cave. The Heavenly Book was still there, and no one had deciphered it yet. The only change was that Yuan Danqiu's alchemy furnace was burning.

"Master Yuan, are you refining pills?" I asked.

Yuan Danqiu added a large bundle of firewood to the stove and said:

"I'm brewing a traditional Chinese medicine. These past few days, many people in the Yingyang area have contracted malaria. The doctors in the mountains collected these herbs and asked me to brew them for them to distribute to the villagers around Ziyun Mountain."

"Are these Chinese medicines effective for this disease?" Li Bai asked.

"It worked. I cooked a batch yesterday, and the hunter's family down the mountain ate it and they're much better now. I just went to check on them."

I helped Yuan Danqiu brew the Chinese medicine. Just as the decoction was ready, many villagers arrived outside Ziyun Cave. Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu carried the medicine outside and distributed it to the villagers one by one. Many Taoist priests who cultivated on Ziyun Mountain also came to collect their medicine. Seeing so many people sick, I roughly knew that this disease was spread through mosquito bites, so I said to the villagers, "There are many mosquitoes in the mountains. When you go back, cut some cypress branches to repel mosquitoes and protect yourselves. Don't get bitten. Those who haven't gotten this disease won't get it."

I also went to the side of Ziyun Cave and cut down many cypress branches, then set up a smoke stall at the cave entrance. After the people who came to collect the medicine left, I said to Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu:

"You two go sit outside the cave for a while; I want to freshen up the Purple Cloud Cave."

Yuan Danqiu said, "Isn't that unnecessary? We have medicine here, why would we be afraid of getting sick?"

"Medicine cures the disease, but my method blocks the source of infection," I said.

Li Bai pulled Yuan Danqiu aside and said, "Let's go outside and let him do whatever he wants."

I placed the cypress branch in the Purple Cloud Cave, and the cave was immediately filled with smoke. After about an hour, the smoke dissipated, and I walked into the cave. There was still a faint fragrance of pine sap.

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu entered the cave and smelled the fragrance. Yuan Danqiu said, "Having lived in Ziyun Mountain for so many years, I've never used pine branches to scent Ziyun Cave before. I never expected it to smell so good."

Li Bai said, "It's getting late, Yuehua, go cook."

Yuan Danqiu brought out a jar of wine and a plate of peanuts, and drank with Li Bai.

I went into the kitchen, took out the flour, and started kneading the dough. By the time the steamed buns were ready, the two of them had almost finished drinking.

With wine flowing freely and sorrow in his heart, Li Bai became more talkative. He not only personally recited "The Road to Shu is Hard" for Yuan Danqiu, but also said he wanted to live in seclusion like Yuan Danqiu. He even stood up, took Yuan Danqiu's hand, and said:

"I've built a mountain retreat on Jade Maiden Peak. The beautiful scenery there is enough to soothe my wounded heart. Come with me to see it; it's a way of showing your support for your brother."

Yuan Danqiu said, "What kind of hermit are you? With your restless heart, you can't be one. Just as you wrote in your poem, your life will only be about: 'There will be times when the wind and waves will be strong, and I will set sail to cross the vast ocean.'"

"Brother, I'm distressed. I've been waiting for Princess Yuzhen in Zhongnan Mountain for months, but she hasn't come. We're truly not destined to be together," Li Bai said.

Yuan Danqiu asked, "Brother Taibai, is the Princess Yuzhen you mentioned the same person as Daoist Xuanxuan?"

Li Bai said, "Yes, the emperor's sister."

"That's easy, I know him," Yuan Danqiu said, patting Li Bai on the shoulder.