Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 157 Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger
At the west gate of Mo City, people were coming and going in the morning, and the road that was more than 20 meters wide was a bit congested.

Chen Xuan and his companions arrived here on foot. A clever young man approached them and saluted, saying, "Are you planning to go to Liuyu Academy? I can provide transportation. The price is fair, the room is clean and comfortable, and I'll make sure you're satisfied."

This is a case of encountering a tout, just like what happened outside the station in Chen Xuan’s hometown.

Perhaps it was because of the industry's rules. Some people around originally wanted to step forward and ask, but the young man got there first, so they had to give up. However, they were also keeping an eye on this side, in case they failed to reach an agreement, there would still be another chance.

Gao Jingming was speechless and asked, "Why do you think so?"

The other party was quite impressed and was a man who knew how to handle things. He immediately said with a smile, "You all look very impressive and scholarly. I think you must have been from Liuyu Academy. And I'm not exaggerating, I've lived here for twenty years. I can't say I know everyone, but I have an impression of those I've met once. You are all unfamiliar faces, so I do have some good eyesight."

It was a formulaic content, probably something everyone would say when they met a stranger. Chen Xuan was both familiar and unfamiliar with this routine.

Since we were going to the academy anyway, we could take anyone's car, so Gao Jingming asked, "We are indeed going to the academy. How much is the fare? When do we leave?"

Originally, this kind of thing should have been arranged in advance by Chen Xuan and others, but they didn't have time to do it in such a hurry.

Gao Jingming was not completely without common sense. He knew when to ask for the price and had a scale in mind. If the other party was too deceptive, he would naturally fail to reach an agreement.

"I heard the magpie calling this morning, so it must be a distinguished person in person. The price is not expensive. It's thirty miles from here to the small market outside the academy, and each person pays one big dollar. There are ten people in each car to ensure that the road is spacious and comfortable. We will leave when it is full. If you want to charter a car, there is a discount, and it only costs nine big dollars," the other party introduced with a smile and anticipation.

First, they elevate their status, then talk about their advantages, and then the discounts. Although it is a bit straightforward, the words are really nice to hear, and they have put a lot of thought into attracting customers.

One big dollar per person is not expensive, and renting a car costs less than one penny. I think the other party is also trying to facilitate the charter of the car. After all, it is easier with fewer people, and they can earn more by leaving earlier.

"What do you think, Xuan?" Gao Jingming did not agree directly, but asked Chen Xuan for his opinion.

The young man thought to himself, could it be that this young man is in charge of these people?

Chen Xuan had already noticed his surroundings and, with his keen senses, had gathered some information from the conversations among the people. If what the young man said about the place being clean and tidy was true, then the price was fair. So he nodded and said, "Young Master, you can make the decision."

The young man was speechless. It turned out that the young man was a servant. It seemed that they grew up together, and the young master was quite dependent on the servant.

After years of living in the city, the young man is very familiar with this situation.

"In that case, then lead the way and set off immediately," Gao Jingming decided directly.

The young man was immediately delighted. They thought they were going to hire a car. This would save time and trouble, and would also make it easier for the animals. He immediately led the way and said, "Follow me, it's not far away."

Seeing that they had reached an agreement, those who were originally eager to try had to give up regretfully and look for other targets. No matter what industry they were in, they had to take the initiative to have a chance.

In fact, although young people can earn one penny per trip under normal circumstances, they can earn a lot if they make more trips a day. But the fact is that the industry has its own rules. They can carry passengers here, and one-third of the money must be handed over to the car dealership, and then they have to pay taxes. It costs money to feed the livestock and repair the vehicles. They can't earn much in a month, and occasionally they have to take risks. But it is much better than digging for food in the fields. It is not difficult to support a family with hard work.

Anyway, no matter what time it is, driving passengers is always profitable. Otherwise, why are there millions of Didi drivers in Chen Xuan's hometown? They have helped the company to a market value of hundreds of billions...

The young man's vehicle was a horse-drawn carriage. Although it was a bit old, it was kept very clean. In his words, he would clean it every time he carried passengers to ensure that the passengers were satisfied.

Gao Jingming was very comfortable with this because he himself was a little obsessed with mysophobia. If he had not spent most of his time in the academy, he would even have considered chartering a car for a long time.

Because it was a chartered car, we set off directly.

This kind of business involves dealing with gatekeepers for a long time. They don’t even have to stay. They just wave their hands and leave the city directly. I guess they pay a lot of tributes every day.

This is the way the world is. If you want to get into any business, you have to be well-informed about all the connections, not only can you not make money, you won’t even know when disaster will befall you. There are many people in the gutter who broke the rules and died in unclear circumstances!
The hardships at the bottom of society are beyond words. People with real abilities don’t care about earning this hard-earned money, and they keep a humble and smiling face all the time.

After leaving the city, the road became much easier to walk on, and it was wide and flat, with willows and pine and cypress trees swaying on both sides of the road.

Looking along the way, Gao Jingming was very happy, because he didn't know how many times he would pass this road in the next few years. It was not like the other directions that were bare and unsightly.

The young man driving the carriage was very tactful. Seeing this, he smiled and said, "My dear gentlemen, you may not know that normally, outside the city, not even a tree as tall as a man can grow. However, this road is the only way to the academy, and most of the people who come here are scholars and literati. Therefore, the government has planted green plants here. Damage is strictly prohibited. The punishment is either a fine or a beating, or even imprisonment!"

"No wonder," Gao Jingming suddenly realized. It seemed that the surroundings of every school were the same. The environment around Yushan School was beautiful.

Chen Xuan could only say that this was just a face-saving project. The best steel was used on the handle of the knife. It was thirty miles long. How much manpower and financial resources would it cost every year to maintain the green plants on both sides of the road?
The young man was also talkative, perhaps all 'drivers' were similar. He continued, "This must be your first time visiting the academy. I've been traveling this route for many years and am very familiar with it. Do you need me to introduce you to the academy?"

"Oh? Tell me about it," Gao Jingming said, piqued. He then began to speak at length, "This Liuyu Academy is quite large. Every year, over 3,000 students study here, and tens of thousands of scholars come to admire it year-round. It supports countless local residents. I heard that the small market outside the academy alone generates hundreds of thousands of taels of tax revenue annually, and a single shop is worth a thousand taels..."

"In addition, many students in the academy are either wealthy or noble. As far as I know, there are nearly ten royal relatives studying here, not to mention the descendants of other noble families. So if you encounter princes or dukes in the academy, don't be surprised. It's best to find out clearly in advance to avoid any conflicts and bring disaster to yourself. Although there are rules in the academy that prohibit using power to oppress others, you are afraid of being liquidated once you leave the academy."

"The academy has a history of over five hundred years. It was established in the previous dynasty and has reached its peak after years of development. There are many historical sites dating back hundreds of years, as well as the original works of countless literati and scholars..."

"I'm a local. I heard from the older generation that it's called Liuyu Academy because there's a hundred-foot waterfall cascading down from a snowy peak right next to the academy, like a jade belt flowing down from the sky. Hundreds of years ago, the first headmaster was delighted to visit and established Liuyu Academy here."

"Don't worry about being disturbed while reading by the waterfall. The waterfall is so high and the wind is so strong in the mountains that it's practically blown away by the bottom. It's almost silent. On clear days, there's a rainbow across the mountain. It's a beautiful sight, and you'll be able to see it soon..."

The young rickshaw driver talked freely, saying everything he wanted to say. He had repeated the same words to countless people countless times, but he never got tired of it. Chen Xuan and the others also listened with great interest.

However, when he heard that there was a waterfall next to the academy, although there would not be any loud roaring sound due to the drop, Chen Xuan thought to himself, wouldn't he get rheumatism if he lived in such a humid environment all year round?
Having said that, most scholars, except those who are not really interested in martial arts, have dabbled in it, so it shouldn't be a big problem.

Heading towards the academy, there were many people on the road, most of them were dressed as scholars, and many of them were surrounded by families, probably new students.

Because he had just arrived and didn't know anyone, there was not much communication, but Gao Jingming was full of expectations for the academy life in the next few years.

After an hour or so, Chen Xuan and the others were taken to the small market outside the academy. After paying the fare, the young driver said a few words of thanks before saying goodbye and looking for a destination to take passengers back to Mo City...

The small market outside the academy stretches for miles and is very lively, more lively than some small towns, and its prosperity is incomparable.

There are restaurants and teahouses everywhere, and even brothels.

In this regard, Chen Xuan could only say that it is very real to have commercial streets around institutions of higher learning.

A wide bluestone road about a mile long leads directly to the gate of the academy, where there is a five-meter-high ancient archway with four large characters "Liuyu Academy" inscribed on it. It is covered with traces of time and has witnessed countless students' time of study here.

Outside the gate was a huge square, bustling with people. A quick glance revealed that there were thousands of people wandering around.

Chen Xuan reminded him, "Master, there's a banner over there for new students to register for admission. Let's go over there."

"Yeah," Gao Jingming nodded casually, looking around with great interest at the environment where he would be living for a few years.

As he walked towards the gate of the academy, Chen Xuan's heart moved. He could sense at least dozens of martial arts auras around him that were comparable to or even surpassed Mr. Yushan, especially in two or three places in the academy, and in a teahouse in the small market. Chen Xuan even felt the aura of cultivation at the innate realm!
This Liuyu Academy is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Including myself, there are a number of innate masters, not to mention whether there are others who are as good at hiding as myself.

I think life in the next few years won’t be as dull as it was in Yushan Academy, right?
There is an old-fashioned teahouse in the market. On the second floor, by the window, there are two old men in gray clothes sitting and drinking tea. They are both dressed very simply, just like the old men next door.

One of them has a kind face and gives people a warm and refreshing feeling, while the other one is upright and seems a bit old-fashioned.

They looked at the people coming and going at the academy gate, especially the young faces, as if they were reminiscing about their youth, and as if they were lamenting the unforgiving nature of time.

At a certain moment, the kind-faced old man paused and uttered a light "Exclamation", looking towards the gate of the academy with a puzzled look.

"Brother Wangshan, why are you surprised?" the old-fashioned man opposite asked in confusion.

Gently shaking his head, the kind old man said with interest: "Brother Cuibai, you don't know, just a moment ago, I felt a gaze passing through us, but I couldn't find it."

"What should I do? You and I are in such a conspicuous position, with people coming and going and so many onlookers. What's so strange about that?" The old-fashioned man shook his head and laughed.

However, the kind old man said seriously, "What if I say that the person who glanced at us was a strange innate master? I would definitely not be wrong. I just followed my feeling and found it difficult to identify him. This person must be hiding in the crowd!"

"Is this true?" The old-fashioned man frowned.

Nodding, the kind old man said: "How can I deceive you? Ha, interesting."

"This matter is of no small importance. How can you, an old man, still laugh?"

……

(End of this chapter)