Daoist Scriptures Aren't This Good

"Mister, you're leaving already? Isn't that a bit too sudden? Have I failed to host you properly?"

"Duke Liu, you are too kind. For the past two days, you have treated me with such generosity. I've had good food and a comfortable stay. Especially yesterday, your warmth and the villagers' simple kindness are things I've rarely encountered in my life. Truthfully, I wish I could stay a few more days." Song You said sincerely to Old Official Liu. "However, I am heading to Long Commandery to deliver a family letter for an elder. I've already delayed for two days, so I really cannot stay any longer."

To prevent him from overthinking, Song You showed him the letter sealed in a bamboo tube.

"Even so..."

Old Official Liu sighed, tapping his cane on the ground. But delivering the letter was an important matter, and it concerned his word of honor, so he couldn't keep Song You any longer. He merely ordered someone to fetch money and provisions.

"Mister, you drove away a fierce tiger for our village, saving a great deal of property. Besides, even without you, it would have cost something for me to send someone to the county to hire help. Both by reason and by sentiment, I should offer you something." Old Official Liu stood up, leaning on his cane, and offered a plate of silver coins to Song You. "It would be improper to offer only provisions. I've prepared a small sum of money for you as travel expenses."

Song You looked down. The plate held scattered silver coins, perhaps twenty to thirty taels.

In those times, most people couldn't see so much silver at once. Hiring someone from the county to drive away a tiger wouldn't cost nearly this much. Most of this money was an "expert fee" for a "master."

But Song You absolutely could not accept this money.

Setting aside the insights he gained yesterday, which were priceless, the good food, drink, and honored guest treatment he'd received over the past two days were enough to offset the matter of him persuading the fierce tiger to leave.

This is how the world works. One party does something casually, while the other offers generous gifts. Nothing else is truly needed. Even if they parted ways now, neither would feel indebted to the other.

So, he only took the provisions, refusing the silver coins entirely.

Old Official Liu was helpless, but he felt even more that this Young Mister was remarkable, unlike those other itinerant masters and folk experts who possessed some skill. He then personally escorted Song You to the door, still leaning on his cane.

"Mister, if you follow the main road to the right, and if you have good stamina, it should take about half a day to reach the county. Our county is called Nianping County. If you need to rest in the city or require any assistance, you can go to the county office and find the registrar, Liu Hong Liu Yangsheng. He is my second son. If you prefer not to, you can travel to Long Commandery by water, which is easier than by land. Prepare some provisions, and the boat can also carry your horse."

"By water?"

"Water travel is smoother and more comfortable than land travel. Although you are traveling the world after leaving the mountain, Mister, you may not know that Xuzhou is filled with mountains and rivers. The journey to Long Commandery is especially picturesque, and traveling downstream is incredibly comfortable."

"What is this river called?"

"It's the Liujiang River, and it flows all the way to Long Commandery."

"Picturesque..."

"Absolutely! As for the journey to Long Commandery, others may not know, but I'm telling you, Mister, you should definitely go by water!"

"How do I travel by water?"

Song You gradually became interested.

In those times, if there was a waterway for long-distance travel, it was definitely a better choice than land. However, he had previously wanted to experience the local scenery and people more thoroughly, so he hadn't sought out water routes. But since the old official before him said so, Song You began to consider traveling to Long Commandery by water.

The old official then explained the details to him.

How to find the way, where the ferry crossing was, how to hire a boat, the approximate cost, and how to avoid being cheated – he explained it all very meticulously.

"Farewell, Duke Liu!"

"Travel safely, Mister."

The old man was still shouting by the doorway, leaning on his cane.

The Taoist priest, the cat, and the horse were already gradually walking away.

After a journey of half a day, they arrived at Nianping County.

Another place in his mind's world was illuminated.

Song You had heard a saying that, in most people's hearts, the world and everything in it were just concepts. Even these concepts could be greatly distorted. Even after seeing maps or pictures, or hearing detailed descriptions of a place, it remained dim, flat, and illusory. Only when you actually went to that place, truly arrived there, would it become substantial, illuminated, and transform into a three-dimensional, real place in your mind.

The more places you illuminate, the more complete the world in your heart becomes.

This was also Song You's first time traveling so far.

The scenery here was beautiful, with waterfalls like paintings. The rice noodles were delicious, and the temperature was a bit warmer than in Yidu and Lingquan County, where the Taoist temple was located.

After eating rice noodles, they passed through Nianping County and left the original main road. Following Old Official Liu's directions, Song You walked about twenty li and then turned onto a road to the left leading to Nianping Ferry. As he reached a gentle slope, his view downwards suddenly opened up.

Below, in a shallow river bend with a rocky shore and an ancient ferry crossing, small boats drifted on the river. Larger boats were connected by ropes, and numerous dark, short trackers at the other end of the ropes leaned forward, straining with all their might. From a distance, they looked like shadows cast by the setting sun in the afternoon.

Faint sounds drifted through the air.

"Ohoh..."

"Eh-heh..."

"Yoh-hoh..."

They were mostly syllables that were hard to discern, as if there was no language. It was impossible to tell how many mouths were shouting, merging into a chorus that seemed to come from the distant riverbank below, or perhaps from a far more ancient past, mixed with the sound of the wind above the ferry. It was more profound and ancient than any Daoist Scripture.

It struck directly at the heart.

Song You stood in the mountain wind, momentarily stunned.

He felt as if these were echoes of ancient history, the labor chants that had resounded on this Liujiang ferry crossing for hundreds, even thousands, of years—the imprint of this era. After hearing just one chant, it echoed endlessly in his mind. Listening for a while longer, it began to sound like a lament under intense labor, filling his heart with a sense of sorrow and desolation.

"Taoist priest, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Why aren't you walking?"

"I'm going now."

"What are they shouting?"

"I can't hear clearly either."

Song You just took a step and walked down.

The red date horse and the cat followed behind.

Yesterday, he had just witnessed the simple joys of this era, and today he saw it again. This was also an era full of hardship. Perhaps the two were not contradictory. The farmers who were cheerfully drinking at the banquet yesterday and the hardworking boatmen and trackers at the ancient ferry crossing today were the same people. Or perhaps contradiction was the norm in a real world.

This was also a view that couldn't be seen on Yin Yang Mountain.

He walked while looking, and gradually descended to the ferry crossing.

Song You felt his cloth shoes were thin and the stones were poking his feet.

"Are there any boats going to Long Commandery?"

"I'm going to Long Commandery."

"Can I bring my horse?"

"It's a small boat, I can't bring a horse."

"This old man can!"

Song You looked in the direction of the voice.

It was a covered boat, not small, not large, just right for not grounding in this shallow water. An old man stood at the bow, wearing a bamboo hat and a straw cloak. Several people were already sitting inside.

"How much?"

"Where is the guest going?"

"Lingbo County."

"I can't reach Lingbo County. You can only get off at the nearest ferry crossing. There are still nearly a hundred miles of mountain road ahead." The old man shouted loudly, his voice lingering like singing. "It will take six days, two hundred coins per person. A horse counts as two people's fare. Bring your own fodder. As for you, sir, if you don't mind the smell of river fish, the boat can provide meals."

The three flower cat at his feet looked up at Song You.

Song You received her gaze and understood.

"Does the cat not cost money?"

"Why would a cat cost money?"

"Five hundred coins in total, that's the price."

"Five hundred fifty, and we leave as soon as you get on board."

"It's all for small copper coins."

"Please come aboard, sir."

Song You then led the horse and cat onto the boat.

Small copper coins were common small copper coins.

A few years ago, the court had introduced some large coins, some worth five, some worth ten. As the name suggested, one could be worth five or ten ordinary copper coins. However, the weight of one Five-valued Treasure or Ten-valued Treasure was not as heavy as five or ten ordinary copper coins. Even though they had just been introduced, and the Great Yan court was still prosperous, they had not depreciated much. However, the acceptance in the market was gradually decreasing. In any case, a large coin worth ten could definitely not be used as ten coins in real life; a discount had to be applied.

That's why the boatman was so agreeable.

"Sir, just leave the horse at the bow. It's not afraid of water, is it?"

"No."

"That's good. As for its dung and urine, I will clean it myself."

"It will try its best to excrete into the river. If you find a place to dock midway, it will also go down to relieve itself."

"Your horse is obedient, and its wording is elegant, haha..."

"May I ask when we will set off?"

"We're going!"

The boat easily drifted away from the shore, gently and softly.

Song You turned back and looked. There were four other people in the boat.

A scholar holding a book, and a family of three: a couple and their young daughter. He wondered why they were traveling so far.

He didn't have the leisure to pay attention. He stood at the bow, watching the increasingly distant shallow ancient ferry crossing, listening to the desolate and ancient chanting, his mind seemed to be thinking, yet it seemed to be empty.

It was the scholar behind him, seeing his Daoist robe, who looked up and spoke:

"Are you a Daoist mister?"

"I grew up in a Daoist temple since I was young."

"Have you never seen a ferry crossing before, mister?"

"This is my first time."

"Haha, it's novel the first time you see it. After looking for a while, it's just so-so!" The scholar was talkative and enthusiastically invited, "It's windy outside, why don't you come and sit in the cabin? To tell you the truth, I also like Daoist scriptures and magic. I brought a Daoist scripture with me. There are still a few days' journey to Long Commandery. Wouldn't it be delightful if we could drink and talk?"

Song You still stood at the bow, only showing a smile.

The boatman's chanting grew farther and farther away, but strangely, the farther it got, the more flavorful and powerful it seemed.

The scholar did not know what he was thinking—

Daoist scriptures are not as good as this.

Taking a leave of absence for a single update today, no update tonight. Bowing and showing my chest.