Yinshan Record

Chapter 132 Don’t be surprised

The city gate tower stands majestically, with green grass growing on the rammed earth walls. When raindrops fall, the dew on the grass, like ice and jade, bursts open in the wind.

In the light rain and slanting wind, an oil-paper umbrella moved slowly forward through the rain.

Su Che, wearing a pair of hemp shoes and carrying a satchel, gazed at the plaque with the four characters "Connecting Mountains and Seas" on the city tower.

"It is said to be the handwriting of a certain great calligrapher of this dynasty during his tenure."

Among the prominent families of the Jia clan in Daliang, there are often many talented individuals, especially in the arts of playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, where each family often has its own renowned masters.

For example, the Yu family of Yingchuan and the Xie family of Chenjun were famous for their poetry and prose, while the Wang family of Langya were proficient in calligraphy. This is because the children of great families often used their talents to understand the ways of their predecessors when they were cultivating themselves.

This is like if there were an amazing sword technique, and it were written into a sword manual, no matter how detailed the text was, it might become its own limitation. If it were too detailed, it would lose the true meaning of the sword technique.

However, if it is integrated into calligraphy and painting, concealing the sharpness of the brushstrokes, later generations, given the right conditions, will also be able to appreciate its essence.

"It doesn't look like Yu Zhongcheng's writing."

Su Che turned around and looked at the wooden shed behind him. The damp cold of the night had soaked through the wood, and his nose was filled with moisture.

In Guobei County, there is an unwritten rule that the four city gates are locked before sunset.

As long as night falls, the city gate will not open even if Wei Huaiwen himself rides in on horseback to knock on it.

As is customary, in order to accommodate those who couldn't make it into the city before sunset when the gates were locked, Guobei County specially erected a shed outside the four city gates.

If you arrive late, you'll have to make do in the shed for the night.

Although it's drafty on all sides, at least there's a roof over your head.

Despite the light drizzle, Su Che and Lu Bai failed to reach Guo Bei County before dark.

“Master, it’s damp and cold at night, I’ll go start a fire.”

"Thank you for your help, sir."

Su Che and Lu Bai disguised themselves as merchants; Su Che was the young master, and Lu Bai was the manager.

There was a ready-made stack of firewood in the shed. Lu Bai took a few pieces of firewood from it and put them into the fire pit. He then took out a tinderbox and started a fire.

Su Che rolled up some dry grass and spread it on the ground, and the two of them started to warm themselves around the fire.

"Guobei County is so desolate."

Su Che spoke from his heart.

From Shanyin towards Guobei, we didn't see many pedestrians along the way. Judging from the transportation, this place was even poorer than Shanyin.

"Although there are many demons in Xuanshan, under the control of the Demon King, they are actually two different worlds. In Guobei, humans and ghosts live together, making things more difficult in all aspects."

Lu Bai carefully tended to the newly lit flame.

Su Che sat by the stove with his hands in his sleeves, watching the rising flames.

"It's not easy."

Before coming to Guobei County, Su Che specifically looked at the information collected by the Imperial Guard.

The monsters of Xuanshan had settled there many years ago, a result of the feng shui and geographical features. Later, when the old lion turned to the demonic path, he used Xuanshan as a breeding ground for his successors for nearly three hundred years, so the proportion of monsters there naturally far exceeded that of other places.

The reason why Guobei County is plagued by ghosts, besides the numerous man-made disasters and repeated massacres in the past, lies in the old ghost, the Yin-Yang Dharma King.

He is a fourth-grade cultivator, a figure among the top ghost cultivators in the world, and it is rumored that he comes from a certain major sect.

This Yin-Yang Dharma King created a realm in Guobei County, called the "Yin-Yang Realm," to attract all kinds of wandering souls and ghosts.

If he were just shut himself in and call himself king, that would be one thing, but he doesn't like to manage affairs when he recruits people, and his followers often commit evil deeds.

Of course, the above information would not be released; it would only remain in the internal records of the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guards' attitude was very clear: as long as the evil spirits in the Yin-Yang realm didn't go too far, they would turn a blind eye to the situation in Guobei County.

Su Che took out an earthenware pot and three sesame cakes from his satchel. He cut the cakes into small pieces with a short dagger and placed them by the fire to simmer slowly.

"Eat?"

The aroma of wheat wafted out from the flames, and Su Che, looking at the steaming earthenware pot, advised Lu Bai.

"As you please."

Lu Bai smiled.

Once you embark on the path of cultivation, you replace acquired essence with innate energy as your sustenance. Although Lu Bai is a martial artist, he can also absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth; he is not the kind of person who can eat hundreds of pounds of rice in one meal.

Even when it comes to food, they eat with the utmost care and attention to detail.

The lunch was quite good, with bamboo leaf green wine that smelled of herbs and freshly cut beef. Lu Bai picked up his chopsticks and ate some.

The few cakes baking in the broken earthenware pot smelled good, but after being roasted over the fire, they were already hard. Lu Bai had no interest in chewing them.

Su Che didn't care. He ran his finger across the hot wheat cake, cut off a piece, and chewed it vigorously.

"Master, someone's here."

Lu Bai pulled a talisman from his sleeve and whispered something in Su Che's ear.

Su Che nodded slightly.

There were indeed footsteps nearby.

As for whether the person who came was human, it's hard to say in Guobei County.

A yellow paper lantern swayed left and right on the road.

With a sallow complexion, holding a lantern, a middle-aged scholar wearing a turban, a tattered hemp robe, a vermilion wine gourd hanging from his waist, and a bamboo basket on his back, strolled leisurely along the road.

He staggered, but seeing the firelight inside the shed, he slowly made his way over.

"Please forgive me if there is any offense caused to you."

He first bowed in the direction of Su Che and Lu Bai, then turned around and bowed in all four directions.

Then, the scholar carefully blew out the candle in the lantern, grinned at Su Che, and revealed his white teeth.

“Young master, you have a handsome face; you shouldn’t be a ghost.” Lu Bai frowned as he looked at him.

"What's the point of you bowing all around like this? Do you mean we're surrounded by ghosts?"

The scholar quickly waved his hand upon hearing his shout.

"No, no, I don't have that ability. It's just that I'm being polite."

"You're being overly polite here, but it's giving us the creeps. Don't you know where we are? How can you joke like this?"

Lu Bai felt it was best not to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he deliberately put on a cold face.

"There is firewood provided by the government in the shed. Go and start your own fire elsewhere. Don't bother us."

"Serves you right, serves you right."

The scholar looked apologetic and bowed several times.

Su Che smiled upon hearing this.

This scholar is quite interesting.

Seeing that he had no cultivation level, yet he was walking on the night road, he must have had his own difficulties.

"Why go through all that trouble? Come and warm yourself by the fire with us. It will save some firewood and make things easier for those who come after us."

Su Che then made room for the scholar and invited him to sit down.

"Oh dear, it would be impolite to refuse."

As the middle-aged scholar spoke, he sat down beside the two men.

"Sir, you are also going to Guobei County."

The scholar stretched out his sallow hands and roasted them over the flames.

"Ah."

"Doing business?"

"Those whose families run a medicinal herb shop, go with the head manager to Guobei to get some medicinal herbs."

The scholar was startled by this and moved his position a little further away.

"That's a big deal, but the best medicines only come from Shanyin County..."

Towards the end of his speech, his voice even trembled slightly.

Su Che wanted to laugh inwardly; this guy really thought he was a ghost.

"Those herbs with cold properties, such as Anemarrhena asphodeloides and Coptis chinensis, should be from Guobei."

"Hmm, cold or warm, young master is very knowledgeable."

The middle-aged scholar nodded repeatedly as he spoke, then secretly glanced at the shadows of the two men under the fire.

"My head manager is the real master of medicine, a true scholar."

Su Che smiled and pointed to Lu Bai, who had a cold face next to him.

"Oh dear, if you hadn't said anything, I would have thought this gentleman was the head manager of some large business..."

Even Lu Bai, who had a cold expression, was amused by him.

"I'm not afraid you two will laugh at me, but I've read a few books on physiognomy. I think you, sir, have the appearance of someone of wealth and nobility, while this shopkeeper has the look of an official."

"He's used to being bossy and domineering."

Su Che handed over the wheat cake.

Would you like some cakes, sir?

"No, no, I brought some nourishing medicinal soup."

The scholar raised the vermilion wine gourd and shook it, producing a series of water sounds inside.

What are you going to Guo Bei for?

Lu Bai frowned; he couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about this scholar.

"Collecting debts."

"You're all alone. You probably couldn't even get past a dog parked at the gate, let alone collect debts?"

"Sigh, just relying on the power of their master to make a living."

As they were talking, they heard a series of gong sounds outside.

"Officials are handling cases, and bystanders should stay away."

The shouts rose and fell, but Lu Bai strained his ears and heard no footsteps.

"You really don't check the almanac before you go out," Lu Bai said, giving Su Che a meaningful look.

Today has been a series of ghostly encounters.

Young Master Su had been practicing the Taiyin Dharma, and his sensitivity to Yin energy far surpassed that of Lu Bai. Of course, he could feel gusts of Yin wind slowly drifting in.

"gentlemen."

Su Che reminded the scholar, whose face was filled with surprise and doubt, "Those who came down now are the real officials."

Su Che emphasized the word "truly".

"The students understand, they understand."

The scholar was covered in cold sweat, but he remained calm.

Su Che nodded slightly in his heart. It made sense. Since he was collecting debts in Guobei County, he had seen some unclean things a few times, so he was used to it.

(End of this chapter)