Liujiang Grand Gathering

After dinner, the two were in the courtyard feeding their horses.

It was already late January, and the weather was very pleasant. The sun wasn't too hot, nor was it cold. A spring breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the old tree outside the gate. It was incredibly comfortable.

The woman glanced sideways at Song You's horse.

"Your horse doesn't need reins?"

"The horse is obedient."

"And no saddle either."

"I don't ride it."

"That's interesting..."

The woman continued to examine Song You's horse from head to toe, seeming very interested. Her tone was like that of a modern man discussing cars: "It looks like a Northern Yuan horse."

"It is."

"When I was in Yidu, I wanted to buy a Northern Yuan horse too, but I searched the entire horse market and found only a few, and they were outrageously expensive." The woman shook her head. "Couldn't afford it, couldn't afford it."

"There are fewer horses this year."

"I heard the court is planning to go to war again."

"I've heard that too."

"Although your horse looks a bit short and thin, perhaps it was sick in the womb or its mother was underfed, but it's a Northern Yuan horse nonetheless. It looks healthy, so you got a good deal."

"Yes."

"How much did it cost?"

"A gift from an old friend."

"Tsk tsk..."

The woman clicked her tongue repeatedly.

Although she was praising Song You's horse, she was meticulously feeding her own horse, constantly stroking its mane with her other hand. It seemed she was also someone who cherished her companions.

As if suddenly remembering something, she turned her head.

"Right! I also traveled by water, why weren't you as fast as me? Didn't you rest at all along the way?"

"I rested for two days."

"Then you traveled quite quickly."

"Traveling alone is lighter."

"That's true, I was held back."

"Where are your companions?"

"We only went as far as Long Commandery, not to Lingbo. Several of my fellow disciples got terribly seasick halfway and disembarked at Anqing. I came here alone." The woman said, "Besides, receiving this letter was my decision, so there was no need to make everyone follow me on this trip."

"Makes sense."

"Did you encounter any mountain bandits on the way?"

"I did."

"How did you get away?"

"I told them I was just a traveling Taoist, poor and with only a cat and a horse for company, and asked them to let me pass."

"And that was it?"

"Pretty much."

"Hmm..."

"..."

"Aren't you curious if I encountered any mountain bandits?"

Song You immediately understood and respectfully asked, "May I ask if you encountered any mountain bandits?"

"I did."

"And how did you resolve the situation?"

"I scared off one group and cut down another."

"You have excellent martial arts."

Song You glanced at the saber in her hand, which still faintly smelled of blood. He recalled that when he met her in Yidu, there were at least ten of them. The Xishan Sect should indeed be a renowned sect in the martial arts world.

The woman suddenly asked him again:

"Where are you going?"

"Huh?"

"I asked where you are going on this trip?"

"Traveling the world, no fixed destination for now."

"Interesting."

The swordswoman sized him up, a smile playing on her lips. "A traveling Taoist priest?"

"Yes."

"And it's just you, your horse, and that's it?"

"And a cat."

"Oh, a cat too..." The woman couldn't help but chuckle. "This is the first time I've seen someone travel with a cat. And it's so well-behaved, not running off even without a leash. This horse isn't leashed either. Are all the animals raised by you Taoist priests this magical?"

"The world is vast, and there are many wonders."

"You must have some skill, no wonder you dare to wander the jianghu alone."

"I am a Taoist priest; ordinary bandits won't trouble me."

"The world is vast, and just relying on that Taoist robe won't get you very far."

"The road is long and arduous, but if you walk, you will arrive."

"I don't understand."

"As long as you're willing to walk, you'll eventually get there."

"So where are you going tomorrow?"

"Perhaps Anqing."

"Anqing County?"

"Yes."

"Are you also going to the Liujiang Grand Gathering?"

"The Liujiang Grand Gathering? What is that?"

"You don't know?"

"No."

"Before you went traveling the world, you weren't involved in the jianghu?"

"I often practiced in the Taoist temple."

"Then what are you going to Anqing for?"

"On the way here, I saw that the scenery was beautiful. The boatman said Anqing was the most beautiful, so I decided to go see it."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Delivering a letter."

"Just delivering a letter?"

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Did you know Long Commandery before?"

"No."

"Interesting..."

The woman looked at him a few more times.

She had initially thought he was just passing through, and even if not Lingbo County, he would have come to Long Commandery, which was why he brought the letter. She hadn't expected that he was purely sightseeing, going wherever the mood took him, traveling a thousand miles to a strange land just to deliver a letter.

This Taoist priest was peculiar, quite interesting.

"The scenery in Anqing is indeed beautiful, a ten-mile gallery, though I've only heard about it. This is my first time here too," the woman smiled. "After seeing the sights, you could go to the Liujiang Grand Gathering to join the fun."

"May I ask, what is the Liujiang Grand Gathering?"

"The Liujiang Grand Gathering is a grand event in the jianghu. Originally, it was for the martial artists of our southwestern provinces to gather, compare their skills, test their drinking capacity, discuss business, and if there were any grievances, they could be settled openly before everyone. Whether to make peace or fight would be decided then. It's held once every five years. It's normal for you not to know if you're not involved in the jianghu."

"I see."

"There's more to it," the woman said. "Later, the Liujiang Grand Gathering gradually expanded, and jianghu factions from the northwest also came. Then, jianghu factions from the southeast also arrived. Now, it has become the largest gathering in the jianghu. Except for the farthest northwest and northeast, which are too far away, even many people not involved in the jianghu come, either to watch the excitement, find financial opportunities, or recruit skilled individuals as retainers. In short, it's very lively."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

Song You barely hesitated.

Since he was traveling to see the world, how could he miss such a gathering if he encountered it by chance?

He hoped it wouldn't be a crude affair.

If asked about his gains after half a year of traveling, "Do not be arrogant, remain humble" would rank in the top three for Song You.

One must not be arrogant about this world, nor this era, nor the old boatman.

And certainly not arrogant about the jianghu.

Moreover, the jianghu was colorful and full of ups and downs. It was an important part of this era, yet vastly different from most other parts of this era, and it was something he had to witness.

"Excuse me, when and where is the Liujiang Grand Gathering held?"

"The second day of the second lunar month, at Mati Mountain in Anqing."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The woman waved her hand casually. Her horse was a purebred Southwest horse, even smaller than Song You's. It had eaten its fill by now. She patted its neck and then asked Song You, "Where are you going this afternoon?"

"I don't know."

"I'm going to wander around Lingbo County. I want to see what's so special about this remote, difficult-to-access place filled with mountain bandits... Do you want to come along?"

"We'll meet again if fate allows."

"Then I'm off!"

The woman didn't seem to mind and turned to leave.

Although she was just going out for a stroll, she still brought her long saber. She didn't lead her horse this time and went out alone. Her figure quickly disappeared into the bright afternoon sun, quite dashingly.

Song You also found her interesting.

After a while, seeing the Chen couple in the house starting to pack their things to return to Yizhou, he felt it was pointless to stay there alone and would trouble Chen Han to keep him company. So, he took his cat and went out.

He decided to explore this Lingbo County he had stumbled upon.

Lingbo County was built against the mountain. The entire city was situated on the great mountain, with the Liujiang River below.

Legend had it that in ancient times, a Great Yao ran amok, causing torrential floods during the rainy season. The water inundated a thousand li, surging violently, and didn't recede for three years. Some lucky people escaped to this mountain and thus saved their lives. Later, to prevent the Great Yao from causing trouble again, a city was built on the mountain and named Lingbo.

Don't let it be called a county; it's actually very small.

There's only this one mountain. The mountain paths are difficult to navigate, going up and down, consuming both stamina and time.

People here like to eat beef. Whether it's because the emperor's reach is short or due to local customs, the already lax ban on privately slaughtering oxen seems nonexistent here. Beef stalls are everywhere, and the price isn't high. Eating beef here is more convenient than in other places.

"Ox horn comb..."

Song You stopped at a stall.

He picked up a comb at random. Seeing the fine craftsmanship, he liked it. He ran it through the fur on San Hua Niang Niang's back; it felt quite smooth. He haggled and bought it.

He also bought new incense sticks.

At dusk, he strolled back to Ganzao Lane.

Like Tianshui Lane, the entrance to this lane had a large tree planted by previous generations for later generations to enjoy the shade. The later generations didn't waste it; they came here to rest during dusk, dawn, or other leisure times.

Adults played chess or chatted about trivial matters, while children ran around the tree, their shouts filling the air, quite piercing.

It was different here today.

Because an elder was telling stories.

What is "telling stories"?

It's when an elder tells tales to younger people or recounts events that the young have never witnessed. In this engaging manner, they impart wisdom and life experience. In this era, it's one of the most important ways for young people to gain wisdom and experience and understand the world.

A group of people gathered around the old tree, some sitting on stone steps, some on rocks, some even bringing stools to sit on. Children even climbed the tree, perching on branches and staring down.

The woman of the Wu surname was also here, leaning against the wall with her saber.

Seeing Song You approach, she beckoned him over.

Song You walked over, neither hesitant nor bothered, and casually sat down in front of a house. San Hua Niang Niang also obediently followed and sat beside him, curiously watching the children nearby.

Some children were attracted by her and stared at her intently, but they dared not approach, intimidated by Song You and the woman with the saber.

"Is this fate?"

The woman whispered to Song You, not daring to disturb the elder's speech.

"Fate,"

Song You replied softly.

At this moment, the elder was telling a story from the previous dynasty.

This was amateur storytelling. It lacked the skill of a professional storyteller, and the story structure wasn't very complete. He would pause to think, like an ordinary neighbor recounting something that happened in the next village last year. But this simple way of telling had its own charm. People would occasionally interject with questions, discussing with the elder, talking and chatting very casually.

As the story progressed, the children grew restless.

They could barely listen if the story was about legendary heroes of ancient times. But they were being told about dukes and ministers. What they really wanted to hear were stories about gods and monsters.

The elder, being soft-hearted and doting on them, began to tell such a story.