Daring to Ask the Divine Lord

"Taoist priest, what were you just talking about with that person?"

"He stole my money."

"Huh? What?"

The little girl stopped in her tracks, no longer walking.

Judging by her expression, she seemed to want to snatch it back.

"I already got it back from him."

"Bite him to death."

"People can't do that."

"Beat him to death."

"This isn't a matter of biting or beating to death," Song You said, patting her head. She was short enough that he could reach it with a single outstretched hand, which was just right. "Whatever mistake is made, that's the punishment one receives. You can't just kill someone because they stole some money from you. That doesn't follow human rules."

"Oh."

The girl nodded, deep in thought.

Just as Song You thought she was beginning to understand something, perhaps gaining some insight, he saw her extend her hand and ask him:

"Do you want to eat an immortal pill?"

"What?"

"An immortal pill."

"?"

Song You was confused.

He looked down--

A tiny hand, fair and tender, was holding a small pellet in its palm. It was extremely, extremely small.

The girl looked up at him, her face clean and white, her expression serious.

"What is this?"

"An immortal pill!"

The girl seemed to firmly believe it.

"Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

"Where did you find it?"

"In my nose."

"..."

Song You was speechless.

The girl continued to urge him:

"Do you want to eat it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't look for these kinds of immortal pills anymore."

"If you don't eat it, I will!"

"Slap..."

"Huh? Why did you slap my immortal pill away?"

"Don't eat this anymore."

The figures of the adult and child grew farther and farther away.

After searching for a while, he finally found the Mule and Horse Market.

As the name suggested, it was mainly a place to trade mules, horses, and donkeys.

As soon as they entered, they were hit by the smell of manure.

Many people were haggling, some by slipping their hands into sleeves to touch hands, others by talking normally. Quite a few people from the martial world had also come here to choose a suitable mount.

Judging a horse was a skill. A good horse matched a hero; if someone picked a good horse, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. If a horse was chosen by a hero, it could also gain some glory. However, a thousand-mile horse was hard to find, and heroes were rare. But if a thousand-mile horse happened to meet a hero, they would achieve each other. In the future, if someone wrote a biography or epic, they might both be recorded in the annals of history.

Song You was not skilled at judging horses, but he had his own methods of selection.

However, he didn't plan to buy one today. Buying a horse these days was like buying a car, and mules weren't cheap either. Even wealthy families had to be cautious, and couldn't be hasty.

"Three Flower Lady, remember to stick close to me. There are too many people from the martial world here, don't get snatched away."

"Oh."

Three Flower Lady's eyes had already been captivated by the large horses and mules by the roadside. It was unclear if she had heard him. Song You suspected she hadn't, as the little cat was waddling even as she walked.

Song You had no choice but to take her hand.

The large and small one walked and looked.

Yidu is an important node for the tea and horse trade. Most of the horses here come from the southwest. They are short and not much larger than some large donkeys, to be frank.

However, there are no inferior horses in this world.

They all have their uses.

Even the southwestern horses, often considered inferior, are unmatched by any other breed when it comes to traveling mountain roads.

But horses are precious, requiring fine feed and grooming, and their upkeep is costly. Good horses are also expensive. Their only advantage is their speed and handsome appearance. However, long journeys rarely involve much running, so their explosive power seems less useful, making them less cost-effective.

Unless one can buy a Northern Yuan horse.

Northern Yuan horses live on the northern plateau under harsh conditions, making them extremely hardy, resistant to cold and heat, able to thrive on coarse feed, and possessing great stamina. While these horses are not tall and their explosive power isn't exceptional, they have always been the most commonly used warhorses by the Great Yan court and are not frequently seen in the market.

Donkeys are the opposite.

They are resistant to coarse feed, have strong endurance, and their value as draft animals is not low.

In this era, it is fashionable for scholars to ride donkeys, considering it a refined pursuit. A few years ago, the prime minister rode a donkey to court to showcase his scholarly elegance. Daoists also often ride donkeys, exuding an ethereal aura.

Mules fall somewhere in between, possessing the advantages of both.

However, mules are divided into two types: donkey mules and horse mules.

Compared to each other, donkey mules have a physique closer to that of a donkey, with strength and habits more akin to a donkey. They are hardy, can tolerate coarse feed, and are smaller. Horse mules have a physique closer to that of a horse, are taller, and possess strength not inferior to that of a horse. Good horse mules can be as expensive as a horse. Both types have a greater utility value than donkeys and are hardier and more durable than horses.

Looking at it this way, mules seem to be a better choice.

Unfortunately, the Son of Heaven seems to be planning military action in the north again. Both horses and mules are important military supplies. It is said that the government bought a large number of horses and horse mules before the temple fair even opened. This not only caused the prices of horses and mules in the temple fair's mule and horse market to soar, with a southwestern horse fetching over twenty strings of cash, but also meant that the good ones were almost all selected. What remained were the less desirable ones, which the martial folk were still fighting over with grumbling complaints.

Song You looked around but couldn't find anything he liked.

"Aren't we buying yet?"

"Nothing I fancy."

"Three Flower Lady told you to get up early!"

"It was my fault."

"Everyone else is buying..." Three Flower Lady pointed to a person leading a horse mule, "That person bought them all!"

"No rush."

Song You planned to wait for another two days. If he couldn't find anything suitable, he would buy a small donkey and travel the world with it, which he found rather pleasant to think about.

A few lines of poetry about riding a donkey had already formed in his mind.

It was almost dusk by now.

After spending the day at the temple fair, how could he not visit the King Yue Temple to burn some incense? It was a good time as there were fewer people now.

Song You then led Three Flower Lady towards the temple.

There was a pair of couplets at the entrance as usual.

They read:

You seek fame and fortune, he divines good and ill luck. Pity I have no heart, how can I offer any advice? The hall is filled with smoke and clouds, the chamber displays bronze vessels. It's laughable that people offer prayers to this mud and wood, wasting so much money in vain.

According to Constable Luo, the couplets at the entrance were not always like this. It was only after the King Yue Divine Lord appeared in a dream one day that they were changed. From this, it might be that the Divine Lord is indeed from Yizhou, at least this carefree attitude of not caring about anything is common among the people of Yizhou.

The large and small one stepped into the divine temple.

Inside, a Divine Lord, broad-shouldered and strong, clad in colorful divine robes, sat on the divine platform with a righteous expression, glaring at everyone who entered.

As soon as Three Flower Lady stepped inside, a sharp gleam flashed in the statue's eyes, startling her into a full-body tremor. She immediately stopped in her tracks and looked at Song You, her small face filled with uncertainty.

Fortunately, the gleam vanished as quickly as it appeared, and few people noticed it.

"The Divine Lord is here."

Song You patted Three Flower Lady's head, stepped forward to pay his respects, as a form of greeting, and then lit incense to offer.

It was his habit to pay respects at temples. Since he had nothing else to do, it wasn't out of great reverence for the deities in the temples. His master often said he was arrogant towards the gods due to his immense talent and cultivation. Perhaps it was true, but his master also said that true ancient cultivators should view deities from a different perspective. Therefore, Song You wasn't disrespectful towards deities, but his reasons for respect differed from those of ordinary people.

The thin smoke from the incense curled upwards, and the candlelight flickered.

After offering the incense, Song You turned to leave but stopped again. He looked at the divine statue before him and, after a moment's thought, said, "Since the Divine Lord is here, have you seen any scoundrels causing trouble or committing theft outside?"

Another sharp gleam flashed in the statue's eyes.

"How audacious."

Song You strode out of the temple, feeling an immense sense of joy.

This was the happiest thing he had done recently.

With each step he took out of the temple, the sky grew darker.

The temple fair at night was not as deserted as during the day. Countless scholars and beauties were out playing with lanterns, strolling through the lantern riddle corridors. Beauties would steal glances at scholars, and scholars would steal glances at beauties. If they were a little luckier, it would become a beautiful story like that of Yi'an Jushi.

Song You, however, only lingered among the night market snacks.

Several skewers of grilled meat, a bowl of lamb stew, and a runny-yolk baked persimmon. This was a northern-style meal, rarely found these days, and its flavor was no worse than what one would find in later generations. This would be tonight's dinner.

Song You liked this feeling.

He liked this feeling of being no worse than in later generations.

"Herbal medicine, great effects!

"Skinny people will gain weight! And their pee will shoot eight feet high!

"You all ask how to eat it? Soak it in wine if you have wine, soak it in urine if you don't, and even if you have neither, chewing it dry is still effective!"

A crowd was drawn to him and gathered around.

Song You smiled again.

This person hasn't finished their work yet.