The Old Boatman

"Indeed," Li Tongya answered in a low voice. The old man's face immediately brightened with joy. With a gentle tap of his bamboo pole, he brought the boat closer to the islet. Draped in a wet coir raincoat soaked with morning dew, the old man had regular, upright features and a hanging white beard. Beneath his bamboo conical hat, his eyes shone bright and vigorous. Seeing Li Tongya step aboard the skiff, he let out a hearty laugh. Pushing off with the smooth punt pole, the skiff drifted lightly toward the riverbank as he spoke: "This humble one has poled boats here for over a decade. Set your mind at ease, master. Once we leave the lake and follow Dayu Brook south, Lichuankou will soon be within sight!" Li Tongya swept his spiritual sense over the man and learned he was merely a mortal. Standing at the stern, Li Tongya gazed out at the lake scenery. The old man, unable to sit idle, raised both arms and shoved with effort. The skiff glided forward, swift and steady. Glancing at Li Tongya's countenance, the old man remarked with a beaming smile: "Master has upright features and an imposing, far-reaching air. One look and anyone can tell you are a truly virtuous man!" "Virtuous?" Li Tongya paused, nearly laughing out loud. Amused, he touched the sword at his waist and murmured, "The boatman has misjudged. Every one in my family was born bad to the bone. We are no good people." Though he spent most of his years in secluded cultivation, ever since embarking on the path of cultivation, he had killed no small number of men, and those whose deaths he had indirectly caused were beyond counting. How could he possibly be considered virtuous? The old man was taken aback, not expecting such a reply. Chuckling in his gravelly voice, he called out as he poled the boat: "Guest, you must be joking!" "Mm." Li Tongya withdrew his gaze, feeling that the man's face looked vaguely familiar. He asked, "You have a familiar face, boatman... Have we met before?" Setting down the punt pole, the old man looked Li Tongya up and down, then turned back to resume poling. He chuckled: "Perhaps I did lay eyes on you once, master. This humble one was originally born into a prominent family, wanting for neither food nor clothing. When I was young, I wandered along Guli Road and met many great figures." "A prominent family?" Li Tongya narrowed his eyes slightly. His expression did not change, yet an indescribable presence suddenly emerged—his former dignified, composed demeanor receded, replaced by something that made the heart tremble. Fortunately, the old boatman, wearing his conical hat, kept poling without looking back. He chuckled on: "My original surname was Lu, of the Lu clan to the west. Later, when the Lu family's ancestor passed away, our incense connection to the immortal sect was broken... and our clan was carved up between the An and Li families. I had no choice but to change my surname to Liu just to scrape together a living." "Is that so?" Li Tongya replied, adding in a low voice, "Judging by your appearance, boatman, life hasn't treated you too poorly." "Ah!" The old man shook his head, poling the boat as he laughed. "Master... in this world, there are three great miseries: poling a boat, hammering iron, and grinding tofu. It’s hard work, too!" Having passed the turbulent midstream, the skiff drifted more smoothly along the current. The Li family governed strictly; their expectations of their juniors bordered on faultfinding. No annexations or monopolies had been permitted, and supported by tribute from the Shanyue, the common people led fairly prosperous lives. The old man rested his punt pole against the side, lifted the cover of a small stove in the middle of the boat, and remarkably pulled out a cup of warm rice wine. He tilted his head back, took a sip, and let out a contented breath before continuing: "In this world, every livelihood has its hardships. Everyone bears their own pain. It’s enough just to understand that truth." Squinting his eyes in reminiscence, he spoke with a touch of lighthearted whimsy: "Take me, for instance. In my youth, I had grand ambitions—a wandering traveler. In middle age, I returned home to enjoy good fortune, leading a yellow hound and embracing pretty concubines, acting like a lord and master. But in old age, overnight my clan was wiped out, and I had to kneel down and play the grandson. That's the wonderful irony of this world! "Master, you might think those immortals live carefree lives, but they have their share of sorrow too. Have you heard that not long ago, the young master of the immortal clan passed away? Sigh..." Li Tongya fell silent for a moment. Looking at the old man, he asked quietly: "The Li family isn't anything good either... Have you ever hated them?" "Hate?" The old man froze. He set down the pole, lifted the stove to reveal the charcoal glowing beneath, and held up the rice wine for Li Tongya to see. "I am merely a humble boatman. Yet in the spring, I can afford charcoal to warm my wine, and while I cannot drink my fill of good seasonal wine, I still enjoy a drink once every three days!" Taking up the punt pole again, the old man stirred up a trail of splashes. He pointed west toward Eastern Shanyue and shouted: "A tyrannical monarch, slaughtering men like mowing grass, exhausting the strength of the entire Shanyue people just to indulge his own luxury!" His withered, wrinkled finger then pointed toward Lixia Commandery. "A whole clan exterminated, an entire commandery brought to ruin, while the immortal clan stood silently by, watching from the sidelines!" Finally, he pointed toward the Yu family's Milin Commandery, his voice and expression turning fierce: "The common people displaced, exchanging children to eat! Meanwhile, the noble houses drink and play pitch-pot, striking their oars to singing and merriment! The lower folk weep, and the butchers hang out dog heads while selling human flesh below! This year, human flesh has become cheaper still—last year it was three qian a jin; now it's down to just two..." Two streams of tears ran down the old man's face as he murmured: "Witnessing such misery among the people, I still have charcoal to burn and wine to drink. The disbandment of my old clan merely rid the world of a scourge. Where would I find the room to hate?" Deeply moved, Li Tongya sat down beside him. The two let the skiff drift with the current. The old man took another sip of wine, his cheeks wet with tears, and said solemnly: "Master, you said the Li family is no good either, but good and evil must be weighed. This old man hasn't many years left to live, so I might as well say a few words worthy of the executioner's blade!" He gripped his punt pole, his beard and hair bristling as droplets rolled down from them. Gritting his teeth, the old man said: "The demonic cultivators, immortals, sects, aristocratic clans, powerful nobles—even the commoners of this world—count every last one of them! If judged by virtue, good and evil, every single one deserves death!" Such words coming from the mouth of a mortal sent a faint chill through Li Tongya. Even the birds, beasts, and insects along the river seemed to fall silent. Only then did the old man sigh softly, continuing: "Yet having seen so many affairs and so many people, I stopped seeing vile treachery as evil, or righteous conduct as good long ago. In a lawless world like this, the despicable survive, and the righteous die. If you truly wish to judge good from evil, look at only one thing." "What thing?" Li Tongya asked in a low voice. The old man took a sip of wine and answered: "If the people under one's rule are joyful and their cheeks round and full, that is good. If the people are displaced and exchanging their children for food, that is evil. "The Li family reins in their disciples, governs their house with strict discipline, and excels at planning. The lives of the commoners under them are like those of celestial beings, and all look up to them with reverence. Did you not see that when their young master passed away, every household in the town donned mourning attire? If some hypocrite were to bark and yap, claiming their deeds are unjust, the masses would spit in his face and point accusatory fingers at his back." His voice fell, leaving Li Tongya in deep contemplation. The two sat across from each other. After sitting dazed for over a dozen breaths, the old man picked up the pole once more, wiped away his tears, and smiled: "I lost my composure." "I have learned much," Li Tongya said, cupping his hands in formal salute. A sense of relief and clarity welled up within him. He said in a low voice: "Before my father passed away, he insisted on appointing a clan rector. The old man had deep foresight. My family has benefited from it across generations, reaping boundless advantages." The old man listened, utterly confused. When he turned around to look, the stern was completely empty. The river flowed quietly on; of his guest, there was not a trace left. Feeling a sudden hollowness in his chest, he looked back at the small table. A small piece of bright silver caught the light, gleaming faintly. A brisk wind blew over the water, and the silver shone dazzlingly. The old man drained the rest of his wine and slowly sank to a seat, breaking out into a cold sweat.