The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The old man's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up, like a dusty pearl regaining its brilliance. "I remember! This symbol... is recorded in an ancient book called 'Records of Strange Stories from Mountains and Seas.' It mentions an ancient sect called 'Xuanjimen,' whose tokens bear a similar symbol!"

Tang Youyou's heart was pounding, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw. "Xuanji Sect? Old sir, do you know any information about this sect?"

The old man nodded slowly. "The Records of Strange Stories from Mountains and Seas records that the Xuanji Sect was proficient in the art of Qimen Dunjia, and was particularly skilled in the construction of mechanical devices. It is said that their sect's ruins contain many precious tomes and treasures." He paused, his gaze growing profound. "But this sect has long since vanished for hundreds of years. The world only knows its name, not its whereabouts."

Tang Youyou held his breath and asked anxiously, "Then... Old man, do you know the location of this site?"

The old man stroked his beard and recalled, "The Records of Strange Stories from the Mountains and Seas mentioned that the ruins of Xuanji Gate were located on a mountain called 'Wuyin Mountain'. This mountain is shrouded in mist year-round and rarely visited..." He pointed west of the inn, "If I remember correctly, it's over there."

Tang Youyou looked in the direction the old man pointed, and saw mountains in the distance, one peak hidden in the clouds, hazy and mysterious. Could this be the place Mr. Mo was looking for? An inexplicable excitement welled up in her heart. She had heard the old people in the town talk about this Wuyin Mountain. It was said that wild beasts often appeared on the mountain, and the terrain was complex, easy to enter but difficult to exit, so few people dared to go deep into it.

"Thank you, old man!" Tang Youyou bowed to the old man gratefully, "The clues you provided are very important to me!"

The old man waved his hand, "It's just a small favor. But..." He looked at the paper in Tang Youyou's hand, his expression becoming serious, "This symbol is of great importance. Young lady, you need to be cautious and not reveal it to others."

Tang Youyou nodded solemnly and carefully put the note away. She understood what the old man meant. If such a secret sect site were known to someone with ill intentions, the consequences would be disastrous.

She was just about to ask the old man for details about the exact location of the ruins and how to enter so that she could tell Mr. Mo about it as soon as possible when suddenly a loud noise came from the inn's door, breaking the originally peaceful atmosphere.

"Hey! Waiter! Bring up the best food and wine in your store! I'm very happy today!" A rough voice resounded throughout the inn.

Tang Youyou looked in the direction of the voice, only to see Shopkeeper Hua and Niu Xiaoer swaggering in. Shopkeeper Hua spotted Tang Youyou and the old man at a glance, a sinister look flashing across his face before he put on a false smile and shouted, "Hey! Isn't this Madam Tang? What a coincidence, we meet here again!" He deliberately raised his voice, as if trying to attract everyone's attention.

Niu Xiaoer stood behind Shopkeeper Hua, smiling flatteringly, and secretly glanced at Tang Youyou from time to time, with malicious light flashing in his eyes.

The old man was interrupted, his brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Shopkeeper Hua with some displeasure. Tang Youyou's heart sank, and an ominous premonition came over her. Shopkeeper Hua's appearance was no accident... He walked straight towards them, his smile growing brighter, yet it gave people a chill.

"Madam Tang, this is..." Shopkeeper Hua's gaze fell on the old man and he asked with feigned curiosity. As he spoke, he inconspicuously stood between Tang Youyou and the old man, blocking their eye contact.

Tang Youyou's heart was filled with alarm. She sensed that Shopkeeper Hua's intentions were not simple. What... did he want to do? Tang Youyou's eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly tucked the note into her sleeve pocket, obscuring the symbol on it. She replied calmly, "I just happened to meet this old gentleman. We were just chatting casually. Shopkeeper Hua is so excited today, is there any good news?" She tried to divert Shopkeeper Hua's attention.

Shopkeeper Hua seemed not to understand her hint. He still stared at the old man and said with a forced smile, "Madam Tang, this old gentleman looks like an immortal. He must not be an ordinary person, right? Why don't you introduce him to us?" There was a hint of temptation and coercion in his tone.

Tang Youyou was secretly annoyed, but replied calmly: "The old man is just a traveler passing by. It's just a chance encounter. There's nothing special about it. If Shopkeeper Hua has nothing else to do, we will take our leave first." As she spoke, she was about to help the old man leave.

"Wait!" Shopkeeper Hua suddenly reached out to block their path, his tone becoming sharp. "Madam Tang, you're so secretive. Do you have some unspeakable secret? I heard you've been asking about some treasure lately. Could this old gentleman have told you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the diners around him cast curious glances and began to chatter. Niu Xiaoer even exaggerated, saying, "Boss, I've always felt that this woman is sneaky and has bad intentions! Maybe she found some treasure and wants to keep it for herself and abandon our village!"

The old man was startled by Shopkeeper Hua's actions. He trembled and hid behind Tang Youyou, not daring to speak. Tang Youyou was furious. She knew that Shopkeeper Hua was deliberately looking for trouble and wanted to ruin her reputation. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and said coldly, "Shopkeeper Hua, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! When did I ask about the treasure? You are slandering me!"

Shopkeeper Hua, however, showed no fear and instead became even more arrogant. "Slander? I heard you and this old gentleman talking about mountains and ruins! Aren't you looking for treasure? How dare you say you have no selfish motives?" He pressed on, pressing harder.

"I..." Tang Youyou was speechless for a moment. She was indeed discussing the ruins with the old man, but that was not to find the treasure, but to complete Mr. Mo's mission. She was about to explain when Shopkeeper Hua interrupted her again.

"I think you're feeling guilty! You must want to find the treasure, then run away and abandon us fellow villagers! A selfish woman like you doesn't deserve to stay in our village!" Shopkeeper Hua became more and more excited, and his saliva splashed on Tang Youyou's face.

The diners around also began to echo, blaming Tang Youyou. "That's right! She definitely has bad intentions!" "A woman like that should be kicked out of the village!" "Maybe she'll bring disaster to us!"

Tang Youyou was surrounded by everyone, isolated and helpless. She was so angry that she was shaking all over, but she was unable to refute. At this moment, a loud voice came from the door of the inn: "Shut up! What right do you have to slander Madam Tang?"

Shopkeeper Hua's face darkened. He looked toward the door and said darkly, "Who is it? How dare you meddle in my business?" A man in constable's uniform strode in. It was Constable Li. His sharp gaze swept through the crowd, finally landing on Shopkeeper Hua.

Constable Li glanced sharply at the crowd, finally landing on Shopkeeper Hua. "Shopkeeper Hua, what's going on? Why is there so much noise?"

Shopkeeper Hua's face was gloomy, and he cupped his hands with a forced smile, "Captain Li, it's just a minor misunderstanding. Don't worry about it."

"A small misunderstanding? It doesn't sound like a small misunderstanding to me." Constable Li walked over to Tang Youyou and asked with concern, "Madam Tang, are you okay?"

Tang Youyou suppressed the anger in her heart and shook her head: "Thank you, Constable Li, for your concern. I'm fine. It's just that Shopkeeper Hua seems to have some misunderstandings about me. He insisted that I was looking for some treasure and incited everyone to attack me."

Constable Li turned to Shopkeeper Hua and said sternly, "Shopkeeper Hua, everyone knows what kind of person Madam Tang is. You are slandering her without any evidence. It is truly inappropriate."

Shopkeeper Hua's face turned even uglier. He hadn't expected Constable Li to side with Tang Youyou. He hesitated and said, "I... I also heard it from others..."

"Did you hear it from others? It's groundless and unfounded! If I hear you spreading rumors and ruining Madam Tang's reputation again, I will not let you off easily!" Constable Li said in a sharp tone, full of warning.

Seeing this, Niu Xiaoer quickly pulled on the sleeve of the shopkeeper Hua and whispered, "Shopkeeper, let's go and don't cause any more trouble."

Shopkeeper Hua glared at Tang Youyou fiercely, his heart filled with resentment, but he didn't dare to say anything else. He left the inn in disgrace with Niu Xiaoer.

Watching the two of them leave, Tang Youyou knew this was just the calm before the storm, and Shopkeeper Hua would definitely not let it go. She took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards the old man.

"Old sir, let's continue." Tang Youyou said in a low voice.

The old man nodded, a trace of fear still on his face. He looked around, making sure that Shopkeeper Hua had left, and then whispered, "Madam Tang, the ruins are full of traps and dangers. You must be careful."

Tang Youyou's heart trembled. It seemed that this site was more dangerous than she had imagined. She asked, "Old man, do you know the exact location of this site and how to avoid those traps?"

The old man took out a sheepskin map from his bosom and handed it to Tang Youyou: "This is passed down from my ancestors. It records the location of the ruins and how to crack some mechanisms. However, it is so old that some places may have changed. You still have to be more careful."

Tang Youyou took the map and examined it carefully. There was a hidden valley marked on the map, along with some strange symbols. She knew this would be a challenging adventure.

As night fell, Tang Youyou said goodbye to the old man and returned home. She spread the map on the table and, in the dim light, carefully studied every detail on it. She knew that Shopkeeper Hua would definitely not let her go and would definitely find ways to prevent her from finding the ruins.

The next morning, Tang Youyou prepared some dry food and water and quietly left home. She didn't tell anyone where she was going because she knew that this was the only way to ensure her safety to the greatest extent.

The mountain road was rugged and covered with thorns. Tang Youyou moved forward cautiously, always alert to the movements around her. She knew that Shopkeeper Hua might be lurking in the dark, waiting to give her a fatal blow.

Tang Youyou stopped at the edge of a cliff. She felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her secretly... A gust of wind blew, and the leaves rustled. Tang Youyou clenched the dagger in her hand, her eyes sharp as a torch, and whispered, "Come out, I know you are here."