Chapter 79

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Tinkling sounds of bronze bells echoed along the official road.

Heading west from He Valley Prefecture, amidst passing merchants and travelers, a young scholar clad in a clean green robe leisurely led an old donkey forward.

Behind the donkey, a pair of saddlebags lightly swayed. A book rack was nestled on its back, holding a few scrolls of paintings. Most of the luggage was tucked neatly in the compartment beneath the rack.

Lu Liangsheng cut a simple and unadorned figure, looking every bit like a penniless scholar with nothing of value. The only item of note was the twin-fish jade pendant hanging at his waist, its craftsmanship exquisite enough to carry some worth.

Beside him on the roadside, a Daoist priest accompanied him on his journey. The Daoist would occasionally dart off to the ridges between the fields, digging around in the cracks of the mud. After extracting something, he would rinse it in a small ditch nearby before stuffing it into his grimy leather pouch and hurrying back to rejoin the walk.

In stretches of the road where travelers were sparse, the Toad Daoist would often emerge to sit cross-legged atop the old donkey’s head. Arms folded, he appeared utterly at ease, appreciating the pastoral scenery surrounding them.

“…The mundane charm of mortal life is truly delightful.”

Lu Liangsheng turned to glance at him.

“Well, Master always flew high above the world before. Naturally, the sights you saw would be different.”

The old donkey shook its mane, while the Toad Daoist above adopted a solemn expression. He gazed at the distant outlines of the mountains and nodded with gravity.

“When you reach the level your master once attained, you too will witness it. The endless rivers and towering mountains will spread before you like a grand landscape painting, bowing at your feet. But after seeing it for long enough, it’s actually not as satisfying as moments like these.”

“Blowing your own horn again, I see.” Sun Yingxian ran back from the fields on the other side, the leather pouch at his waist bulging heavily, clearly reaping a plentiful harvest. The Toad Daoist cast a glance at the pouch, snorted, and stepped across the donkey’s back, climbing into the small compartment by the book rack.

“Stop catching so many field frogs—it’s bad karma.”

With a loud bang, he shut the little door to the compartment.

Sun Yingxian, uninterested in arguing with the Toad, hummed a tune as he walked briskly beside the scholar. Having traveled together since leaving He Valley Prefecture, he knew better than anyone how much the Toad Daoist enjoyed his meals, always demanding extra seasoning while eating with the most gusto.

After muttering a few complaints, Sun Yingxian walked briskly to the scholar’s side.

“Tell me, what’s it like being a Lord Juren now?”

“Nothing much.”

Lu Liangsheng’s answer was straightforward and truthful. Ever since earning the title of Juren, he hadn’t participated in the customary flower-strewn horseback parade nor accepted the congratulatory ceremonies held by the local government. He felt no particular excitement about the achievement. During his time back home, however, wealthy landlords from various villages had come calling, mostly trying to discuss matchmaking or land acquisitions through marriage alliances.

That was also one of the reasons why Li Jinhua had been persistently urging him to marry.

“Right now, my priority is to get to the capital as soon as possible, meet with my mentor, and then travel to the northwest for a time. If I can accomplish something worthwhile there, all the better.”

“The northwest? It’s a mess over there. Even if you wanted to get things done, the tasks would be endless.”

As they talked, the sound of hoofbeats and the rattling of a wagon’s axle grew louder behind them. Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey to the side of the road as a slightly worn horse-drawn carriage passed by. Riding alongside it were four burly men on horseback, their attire varied but all with swords and blades strapped to their waists.

Sun Yingxian waved his sleeve to disperse the dust kicked up by the passing carriage.

“Rushing like that—what, are they late for reincarnation?”

It was nearing midday, and the autumn sun still carried some heat. The swirling dust had sapped their enthusiasm for travel. After walking a bit further, the group—two men, one donkey, and the Toad Daoist who had climbed out from the book rack—decided to stop.

Under a large roadside tree, they kindled a fire and set up a small pot to prepare a meal.

The Daoist rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a few loaches, waving them in front of the Toad.

“Time for a change of flavor today.”

With a few swift motions, he skewered the loaches onto sticks and placed them near the fire to roast. Meanwhile, Lu Liangsheng spread out a map of the Nanchen official road, marking their current location with his brush.

“We still have to cross one more province and seven counties. At a normal pace, it’ll take at least two or three months. Once we finish eating, let’s use some spells to cover a bit more ground before continuing at a slower pace along the way.”

“Whatever you say, Teacher is just here for the food.”

Holding the skewered loaches between his webbed fingers, the Toad Daoist turned them over and called out: “Quick, brush some oil on these and sprinkle a bit of salt—they’re about to burn!”

Once the loaches were cooked, he brought them over, puffed out his cheeks, and blew on them quickly to cool them. Then, looking utterly content, he nestled beside his disciple, leaning against the scholar’s leg. He bit into a roasted loach, his expression blissful.

After finishing their improvised lunch, Lu Liangsheng waved his robe to summon loose dirt and extinguished the campfire. They packed up the pots and bowls, loaded them onto the donkey, and let the Daoist climb up as well. With an unhurried pace, the old donkey ambled forward, and in the blink of an eye, it had covered six or seven zhang of distance.

The sunlight slanted across the road as they passed a county town. Beyond it, the surroundings grew increasingly desolate, with no sign of fields on either side of the road. The official path split into several branches, and Lu Liangsheng kept mulling over the route they had taken.

Eventually, it became apparent—they were lost.

“Old Sun… you’ve traveled from the northwest before. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize the road?”

Sun Yingxian blinked blankly and pointed at the ground. “How would I know? I used earth escape techniques to dig straight in one direction underground. I was faster than your donkey by who knows how much!”

“Alright, it’s my fault.” Lu Liangsheng admitted, putting away the map of the official roads. Fortunately, it wasn’t dark yet. He dismounted the donkey, picked up a small stone, and tossed it onto the ground.

The stone rolled a couple of times before suddenly veering off, as if pointing in a specific direction.

Dusting off his hands, the scholar grabbed the donkey’s reins and started heading that way. The Daoist followed behind, and after walking for a while, the faint outline of a few houses appeared in the distance.

As they drew closer, they noticed an old man standing outside a fenced courtyard, staring blankly at the setting sun.

“Let’s go ask for directions,”

Lu Liangsheng said, loosening the reins and stepping forward quickly. He clasped his hands in greeting and said: “Elder, may I ask how to get to Fulín Prefecture?”

The old man didn’t seem to hear him and continued to gaze into the distance. Lu Liangsheng repeated his question, and only then did the elder slowly turn his head, his mouth slightly agape.

“Ah, ba…”

He raised his hand and pointed toward the mountain ridge that extended from the path they were standing on.

It turned out he couldn’t speak.

Lu Liangsheng didn’t stare at the elder for long, wary of causing any misunderstanding. After expressing his gratitude, he led the donkey forward, with Sun Yingxian following. They walked along the dirt road for a while before Lu Liangsheng couldn’t resist glancing back. The old man was still standing there, smiling faintly.

“What are you looking at?”

The Daoist turned to glance back as well. “That old man feels strange, almost eerie.”

Lu Liangsheng shook his head and kept walking.

“No demonic aura, no yin energy… maybe he’s just peculiar by nature.”

Behind them, a couple emerged from the house near the road. Spotting the old man still standing there, they hurried over to help him back inside, bickering as they did so.

“Father’s getting senile! Why didn’t you keep an eye on him? What if he wandered off and got lost?”

“As soon as I turned around he disappeared. How could I have known? You were too busy sleeping!”

The sunset bathed the western clouds like a tide rolling over them, dyeing the mountain ridges in shades of crimson.

Caw! Caw Caw!

A crow perched on a branch let out a series of cries, its blinking eyes following the movements of the two figures and the donkey below.

“Ugh, I’m going back to settle the score with that old man!”

Sun Yingxian’s yell startled a flock of sparrows hidden in the dry, withered grass. They took to the air, a dark cloud scattering against the twilight sky. All around were barren trees and an expanse of desolate wilderness. The overgrown, rarely traveled path was uneven and choked with weeds.

“We might as well go back and find him. If he tricked us, we could at least make him feed us!”

Lu Liangsheng, unfazed, glanced at the sky. He loosened the donkey’s reins and let it graze freely on the roadside grass.

“It’s getting dark soon. Let’s just camp here for the night.”

On one side of the clearing lay a large rock with a hollow space beneath it, big enough to shelter four or five people. They retrieved the pots and bowls from the book rack and carried them over.

“What are you standing there for? Start cooking.”

The Daoist sighed, leaping into the forest. After a cacophony of rustling and cracking sounds, he returned moments later with an armful of dry branches, which he used to build a campfire.

As the rice cooked, its mild aroma filled the air. Shortly afterward, the two men and the toad finished their meal. Worried they might grow bored, Lu Liangsheng brought out a chess set he’d purchased earlier in He Valley Prefecture.

Using the firelight, he and the Daoist immersed themselves in a battle on the chessboard, while the toad stood with its hands clasped behind its back, watching intently from the side.

The night deepened, shrouding the land in darkness. Several miles away, the stillness of the road was shattered by the clash of metal against metal.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Four horsemen clashed fiercely with over a dozen shadowy figures. In the chaos, the frightened horses pulling a carriage neighed loudly and bolted away from the road, veering wildly into the wilderness.

“Protect the people in the carriage!”

One of the guards shouted, and the other three immediately disengaged from the skirmish to chase after the runaway carriage.