Chapter Six: Changling County

"Have you heard? The main peak of Taiyi Mountain, dozens of li from our Changling County... vanished into thin air beneath the blazing sun!"

"Is that really true?!"

"Of course! All those farmers working the fields saw it with their own eyes!"

As he wiped the table, the young servant gestured mysteriously with his left hand: "At the time, thick fog covered the mountain, and a sea of clouds churned as if heaven itself had sent down an omen. The farmers could do nothing but stop their work. But once the fog dispersed, the towering main peak of Taiyi Mountain had already vanished from sight!"

"It's said that the newly emerged Taiyi Immortal Sect saw that all was peaceful in the mortal world, so it returned to the mountains and went into seclusion again."

"Huh? I heard it was called the Supreme Great Dao Immortal Sect."

"It was clearly the Heaven-Piercing Profound Mystery, Myriad Things Return to One, Supreme Dao-Proving Sacred Sect! Your information is truly out of date."

"Ah! What a pity! If I'd known, I would've gone up Taiyi Mountain to try my luck. If I'd run into an immortal... that would've been a blessing spanning three lifetimes!"

The slightly raucous sounds echoed ceaselessly both inside and outside the tavern.

People naturally discussed Taiyi Mountain's sudden disappearance at length, and all sorts of rumors circulated.

But to Lin Tianlu, who was sitting in the tavern as well, the topic left him feeling rather complicated.

And I'm still with the Self-Guarding Sect.

It was just a bare mountaintop with a few more weeds growing on it. How had these people, by word of mouth, invented so many flamboyant sect names?

But—

He still breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, despite making such a huge commotion, no one besides Hua Shuya knows I came down from the mountain."

And Hua Shuya clearly wasn't the sort to spread gossip. She had not broadcast the matter far and wide.

But that Taiyi Mountain...

Its disappearance had been so sudden that even he had been left utterly bewildered.

When Hua Shuya noticed something amiss as well, the girl had mistakenly assumed that he had used immortal methods to take the mountain peak away. She had stared at him with shining eyes the entire journey.

He had patiently explained it once, only for her to give him a look that said, I understand, I understand. It had made his head ache.

"Sir! What can I get you?"

A servant soon hurried over with a flattering smile, though his eyes held a trace of surprise.

He had worked at this tavern for over ten years and received countless guests. The scholar before him was covered in dust, and his white robe had turned faintly yellow. At a glance, he was clearly destitute. Yet his features inexplicably inspired a sense of closeness, while his ethereal, unfathomable bearing made him seem like a person of extraordinary status.

Strange, strange indeed!

The servant was deeply suspicious.

Lin Tianlu cast aside his distracting thoughts, considered briefly, and said, "A cup of clear wine and a few small dishes to go with it."

"Coming right up!"

The servant quickly answered. He did not lose his manners merely because of Lin Tianlu's dirty, worn-out clothes.

Before long, several dishes and a wine cup were brought over one after another.

Lin Tianlu picked up his chopsticks and gazed at the steaming dishes on the table, sighing inwardly.

Without realizing it, he had already gone half a month without eating.

During his first two days on the mountain, he had panicked and worried over it for quite some time. But after gradually growing used to it, he had forgotten to think about food altogether.

Regardless, he could finally settle down and enjoy a proper meal.

Although what he missed even more now was cola and hamburgers.

A piece of Original Recipe chicken would have been even better.

"..."

Just as Lin Tianlu was about to put the marinated beef into his mouth, he hesitated for a moment, quietly set down his chopsticks, and looked toward the entrance with a smile.

A small figure hurriedly shrank back beside the door.

"There's no need to hide. Come sit down and have a proper meal."

"...Really, really?"

The child timidly poked half his head out again.

Lin Tianlu smiled. "Of course. A scholar would never deceive someone."

The child hesitated and struggled inwardly for a long while. He then secretly glanced at the other people in the tavern. Only after seeing that no one had noticed him did he sneak inside.

He looked to be no more than ten years old. His face and hair were filthy, and his clothes were covered in tattered patches. He was clearly a pitiful child surviving by begging in the streets.

"Go ahead and eat."

Lin Tianlu lifted his wine cup and took a sip.

This wine... is pretty weak.

Did they mix a few drops of liquor into boiling water?

The child swallowed, hurriedly wiped his hands, and ultimately could not resist the temptation of food. He began eating carefully.

Perhaps he gradually lowered his guard. Before long, he was wolfing down the food, looking utterly famished.

Lin Tianlu glanced at the child's neck and wrists. A few wounds that had not fully healed could be faintly seen there, and he sighed inwardly.

The world into which he had transmigrated did not seem peaceful either... No, it was more accurate to say that no matter the dynasty, no matter how prosperous it was, there would always be people from impoverished households like this.

As they ate in silence, the servant who had brought the dishes approached with an awkward expression.

"Sir, this child..."

"Bring two more dishes and a steamed bun." Lin Tianlu smiled faintly and took some broken silver from his robe. "Make the dishes heavy on meat."

The servant's eyes immediately lit up, and he bowed repeatedly. "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

After taking the broken silver, the servant ran excitedly toward the kitchen.

The beggar child froze when he saw this. He stared at the servant's back for a long while, even forgetting to chew the food in his mouth.

"Are you looking at the money, or the person?" Lin Tianlu suddenly asked.

The child was startled and said softly, "Before... he wouldn't let me come near the tavern."

Lin Tianlu smiled calmly. "That was simply his job. If beggars disturbed the other customers, he would be the one punished and beaten."

The child lowered his head and said nothing.

Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a laugh.

He had no intention of lecturing a beggar child who had not yet grown up about the great principles of life or advising and guiding him. Without money, such words were meaningless. No matter how much one said, they were nothing but pretty words capable only of moving the speaker himself.

"Child, this meal isn't free." Seeing the child tremble all over, Lin Tianlu quickly continued, "But if you can answer a few small questions, I'll naturally pay for it."

The child swallowed the food in his mouth and hurriedly said, "What does sir want to ask?!"

"In this world, do cultivation sects exist?"

"C-Cultivation sects?" The child shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know. I've never heard anyone else mention them either... At most, they're merely topics of idle conversation."

They exist only in folk legends?

If so, then the reason my predecessor and Hua Shuya went up Taiyi Mountain was precisely to gamble on their luck.

Could this world truly have no trace of immortals?

Lin Tianlu considered this for a moment before continuing, "Then in this world, are there things like demons and ghosts? Ferocious gods and evil spirits, mountain monsters and wild spirits?"

The child shook his head repeatedly, then nodded with an uncertain expression.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I'm not sure." The child clenched his hands and hesitated. "I've never encountered any wronged souls or vicious ghosts. I've only heard about them from some adults... But unlike the immortal sects, when those adults talk about such things, they speak as if they really happened. And... it seems there was even a murder in town."

"Someone was really killed?"

"Just a few days ago... a concubine in Steward Li's household on East Street died." The child lowered his voice. "I happened to pass by and take a look. Her body had been placed in the ancestral hall. A white cloth covered her, and quite a few Daoists were performing rituals to drive out evil. They looked terribly mysterious and superstitious."

Lin Tianlu fell into thought.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the tavern suddenly changed. The previously noisy surroundings grew considerably quieter.

Lin Tianlu turned his head and saw a beautiful figure quietly enter the shop.

The bright, captivating face belonged to Hua Shuya, whom he had parted from not long before. She had now removed her cold-weather cloak, revealing an even more graceful and well-proportioned figure. Her features were exquisite and flawless, and her smile was gentle. The noble bearing faintly emanating from her caused many surrounding guests to turn their heads in astonishment.

The girl approached the table with graceful steps and bowed to Lin Tianlu.

"I disturbed Senior's meal. I failed to consider things properly."

"There's no need for such courtesy. I wasn't hungry anyway." Lin Tianlu smiled, drained the wine in his cup, and quickly rose. "The families of those farmers who were killed..."

"This junior has already settled everything properly. Each household received a hundred taels of silver, twenty bolts of silk, food, and more. As for their children, I also contacted the local school and arranged for them to receive an education."

"Cough..."

Lin Tianlu almost choked. He stared at the girl before him in utter astonishment.

This was beyond mere kindness. This girl... was a genuine rich lady!

Although he had only just arrived in Changling County, he had observed some of the local prices along the way. One tael of silver could probably cover food and drink at a tavern for several months.

The beggar child beside him was even more dumbfounded. He was completely stunned.

That much money... I couldn't save it even if I begged for three lifetimes.

Hua Shuya asked, somewhat puzzled, "Senior, was my compensation still insufficient?"

"It's enough, it's more than enough!"

Lin Tianlu sighed. "I truly didn't know your... family was so well-off."

"It is merely thanks to the protection of my ancestors. I am deeply ashamed."

Hua Shuya soon glanced at the beggar child beside the table. "Senior, this child is..."

"I'm merely treating him to a meal."

"I see."

She approached with a gentle smile and stroked the child's head. "To receive an immortal's concern is this child's good fortune. Take this money and buy yourself a new set of clothes later."

As she spoke, she took a silver ingot from her robe and stuffed it into the child's ragged pocket.

Before the stunned beggar could recover, Hua Shuya had already waved goodbye with a smile. Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, she left the tavern together with Lin Tianlu.

"..."

The child pressed a hand against his bulging pocket and remained rooted to the spot for a long while.

"An... immortal?"

He clenched the silver ingot in his pocket. After a long silence, he suddenly pulled it out and slapped it onto the table.

"Shopkeeper! I-I want to exchange this money for... food!"