Jianghu Experience

"We're setting off. It'll take several days, so you kids better be patient!"

Hu Ma and the other youths set off with Second Master, gradually seeing scenery unseen in their village.

The cart was pulled by a sturdy yellow ox, its fur groomed smooth and sleek. It pulled the wooden-wheeled cart along the rugged mountain path, swaying as it went. The pace wasn't fast; if anything, the boys on the cart could probably run faster than the ox cart.

But since they had set off a few days early, there was no rush. They took their time, enjoying the scenery along the way while listening to Second Master's boastful tales.

After a day or two, they had gradually left the territory of Old Yin Mountain and entered the official road. The path became a bit smoother, but not much. It was still uneven and bumpy.

Along the way, Hu Ma's knowledge grew. In this world, long-distance travel was a major undertaking.

The first thing they feared most was encountering Evil Spirits.

However, everyone on their cart were young men who had lit their furnaces, and with Second Master, a furnace of sixty years' cultivation, they traveled smoothly without encountering anything.

Of course, they were cautious. Every day before dusk, they found a place to rest and stuffed the pond ash brought from the village into their chests. Ordinary Evil Spirits would have a hard time getting close to them.

But they didn't encounter Evil Spirits; they did run into a group of bandits.

There were no grand pronouncements like "This mountain is mine to command, this tree is mine to plant." Instead, a pile of rocks and a fallen dead tree blocked the path. A group of people dressed in rags emerged.

Some held pitchforks, some carried pickaxes, and some even wielded sticks or stones. From a distance, they bowed towards the people on the ox cart, saying, "Passersby, please be merciful..."

"Our village has suffered a disaster and cannot hold on until spring. Please be kind and give us some grain to feed our children."

"After next year's autumn harvest, when we have grain, you can wait here, and we'll return double the amount of grain to you..."

"..."

The youths on the ox cart were bewildered, but Second Master waved his hand and jumped off the cart.

Then, he spoke with a tearful voice, "Fellow villagers, our village is also poor. Look, we're already preparing to sell our children in the city."

"However, we still have some dry rations on the cart. Please take them if you don't mind."

"Times are hard. In our Old Yin Mountain villages, we can only survive by helping each other..."

"..."

He poured three large bowls of coarse rice from a sack to the other party. The other party clearly saw that there was still half a sack of grain on the cart, but they didn't ask for more.

They even enthusiastically came forward to move the rocks and dead trees, and then pointed the way, "Go twenty li past this fork in the road, there's a mass grave. There are wild dogs that dig up graves to eat people, and restless Yin Ghosts. Be careful, and absolutely do not venture there at night..."

"Thank you, thank you. We'll meet again."

Second Master clasped his fists and bid them farewell. From a distance, he saw them putting the rocks back in place.

Hu Ma carefully observed Second Master's every word and action. His intuition told him that perhaps this worldly experience was no less useful than the Skills he had learned.

As for the youths on the ox cart, after they had traveled a good distance, some were eager to try their hand, saying they should have fought earlier. Even though there were six of them, they could have dealt with them. Second Master slapped one of them on the head and said, "Don't ever say that again."

"If you rely on fighting and killing when you travel the world, how many can you possibly kill?"

"..."

Their experience and knowledge grew along the way. On the fourth day, they arrived in front of Mingzhou Prefecture City.

Hu Ma glanced at it from afar. He saw a large city rise from the flat ground. From a distance, it looked quite imposing. Upon closer inspection, the city walls were not small but looked rustic. The walls were patched up and showed signs of axe and fire damage.

With an hour left until sunset, the main city gates were already closed, leaving only the smaller gates on the left and right open.

Second Master jumped off the cart in advance and led the ox to the city gate. The gatekeeper, dressed in ragged clothes and looking listless, saw an old man and a few kids and became impatient. He waved his hand, saying, "It's too late today. You can't enter the city. Wait outside!"

Second Master quickly put on a smiling face and took out the token left by the steward earlier. He said, "Officer, you see, we are going to the Red Lantern Society to worship the Goddess."

"These children on the cart are all workers the Red Lantern Society needs."

"..."

"The Goddess Society?"

The gatekeeper's expression changed slightly. He sized up Hu Ma and the others, then stepped aside and pointed the way: "Walk along the roadside, be careful not to let the ox defecate, and go to Diao Gan'er Hutong in the West City. You'll find the Red Lantern Society's lanterns."

"..."

Second Master gratefully agreed and drove the ox cart into the city.

As night was falling, in Great Sheep Village, the villagers had long since returned home. They might have already eaten dinner and were engaged in their limited recreational activities in bed.

But the atmosphere in this city was truly different. The carved buildings on both sides were lit with ornate lamps, and the streets were bustling with noise. Passing merchants in brocade robes, either in sedan chairs or riding tall horses, moved slowly through the middle of the street like inspecting mountain gods. Peddlers and vendors loudly hawked their wares, attracting customers.

The youths from Great Sheep Village, including Hu Ma, stared with wide eyes.

While the youths had never seen such a sight, Hu Ma had seen plenty in movies and TV shows. Yet, he felt many things were different, possessing a greater sense of simplicity and reality.

Especially when they saw a strong man carrying a woman with a lazy expression on her face, hurrying past their cart, the youths' eyes widened. Hu Ma also looked over.

Second Master caught a glimpse of their expressions and sneered, flicking his whip in the air. "What are you looking at? That's a pimp carrying a prostitute to serve the big bosses in the restaurants."

"You all remember this: before you learn the real skills, no one is allowed to mess around with this stuff..."

"..."

"They even have delivery for this?"

Hu Ma felt his horizons broadened. The youths, on the other hand, became excited. "Second Master, how does this work?"

Second Master's spirits rose, and he regaled them with tales of listening to music, feeding wine, playing dice games, and the smell of small feet that hadn't been washed in a month, describing it all in meticulous detail.

But when it came to the crucial part, he stopped abruptly. Someone who hadn't heard enough blurted out, "And then? After crawling into bed..."

Second Master's expression turned awkward. He turned and slapped the speaker, scolding, "Why ask so many questions?"

"Not learning anything good."

"..."

"..."

They walked slowly through the city, taking nearly half an hour to reach Diao Gan'er Hutong in the west of the city. They saw that it was indeed different from other places. Pedestrians came and went, mostly wearing black clothes and wide belts.

Red lanterns were lit everywhere in the streets and alleys, but they were different from those used for celebrations, carrying a somewhat eerie atmosphere. Second Master stopped the ox cart at the entrance to the hutong and looked around. Before long, two men in black clothes came over to ask what they were doing.

Second Master quickly told them the truth. The expressions of the two men gradually softened. They pointed to a house ahead and said, "Go on over."

After driving the ox cart over, Second Master had the young men get off the cart. He also told them to adjust their belts and wipe the dirt from their faces. Then, with a fawning smile, he cautiously peeked into the courtyard.

Inside the square courtyard, an old man in a short shirt with a small mustache was sitting under a pomegranate tree, smoking a pipe. He glanced at Second Master and was about to ask something when Second Master hurried forward, explained their purpose, and presented the identification token given by the steward.

"It's still a few days until the altar is set up to worship the Goddess. Why have you sent them so early?"

The old man with the small mustache took the token and glanced at it, his demeanor appearing lazy.

"The mountain roads are difficult to travel. I was afraid of delaying things, weren't I?"

Second Master replied with a smile and took out the coarse cloth bag from the ox cart, opened it, and handed it over.

Seeing that the cloth bag was dirty, the old man was initially somewhat disgusted. However, his eyes swept over it and he saw three dry strips of cured meat inside. He found it strange. As Second Master handed it to him, he reached out, squeezed it, and put it in his mouth.

He smacked his lips, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

He busily took the cloth bag and stood up, smiling and cupping his fists: "Old brother, you're too kind!"

"They're all our own young people. Why did you bring these things?"

"These few strips of cured meat, I can't eat them all. I'll keep them for now and help deliver them to each of your places later..."

"..."

"Yes, yes."

Second Master did not show any suspicion or pettiness. He repeatedly agreed: "The village is poor, and we don't have anything good."

"Just these strips of cured meat. Please don't dislike them."

"..."

After accepting the cured meat, the other man called out a young boy in a blue shirt from the house and took the meat into a jar in the inner room to store it.

He then pulled at his collar, took out a key, and, while leading the way, said with a smile, "The place has already been cleared for you. I'll take you there to stay first."

"We will join the Incense Master at the altar on the twenty-ninth to worship the Red Lantern Goddess. That is our Goddess's birthday."

"After worshipping the Goddess, we will arrange places for you children. But don't worry, I will definitely help you pick a good place and find a good shopkeeper. You'll be able to earn wages and learn skills..."

"..."

The group repeatedly agreed. The man then personally took the key and led Hu Ma and the others to a residence on a street away.

It looked dilapidated, as if abandoned for a long time, but it had a decent main hall, east and west wings, as well as a gatehouse and stables. It was clearly also a property of the Goddess Society.

The steward did not lead them into the main hall but opened the door to the west wing. Inside, there was a simple set of tables and chairs, and a brick kang built halfway up the wall.

"Well, we're here, and we still have to sleep on a communal bed..."

Hu Ma thought to himself, but after looking around, he was somewhat satisfied: "At least it's more spacious than where Second Master was before."

He turned to see Second Master escorting the steward out of the courtyard. He also thought, "I've come to this city to burn incense, and afterwards, I don't know where I'll be sent to work. That old brother Erguotou, with so much influence, must be a person of power in the Goddess Society."

"I wonder if I'll see him in the next few days..."