Does God Exist in This World

Zhang Zhenmei lived in a small courtyard—in truth, this was one of the Lu family's properties in the county seat. Lu the Eldest had given him the deed, and so this became the place where the three of them settled in Xiangyang County.

It was just past noon, the hour of wei. He sat in a chair, basking in the sunlight that filled the courtyard.

In his arms rested a ledger, recording the sums each of the five families had offered him. Some had already been spent, some converted into property. Adding up the odds and ends, he still had around three to four thousand strings of cash on hand.

This was already a staggering sum.

Some wealthy households in the county, built up over generations, doing business for decades, or even certain county magistrates who had served for many years—might not have this much money.

"Have you scraped together enough money?"

Zhang Zhenmei jolted awake. Instinctively, he lifted his head, looked around, and turned toward the voice.

He saw three people standing outside the courtyard gate, in the shade beneath the tree by the entrance. One wore a worn blue robe, his features handsome and refined; one was dressed in white, looking wealthy; the last was an old man in a wide-sleeved long robe, his beard and hair entirely white.

These were the three who had suddenly appeared at the Lu residence that day.

Jiang She pushed open the gate, and the others walked into the courtyard, surveying this detached dwelling.

Though it showed some signs of age—moss creeping over the stone steps—one could tell the courtyard had once been well cared for, meticulously furnished.

The yard was lush with greenery, connected to the main house. In one corner, a trellis had been built, grapevines climbing along it. One could also see that dogs had been kept here before; there was a doghouse built with care, now covered in a thick layer of dust, with faint, crooked writing on it—childish and playful.

This might have been where the Lu family lived when they were young.

Right in the county seat, with the sounds of street vendors hawking their wares all around—peddlers selling drinks from pots—it was livelier than the Lu family's own estate. If there was a flaw, it was that the place was a bit small.

He looked at Zhang Zhenmei.

Asked leisurely, "When do you plan to send it back?"

Zhang Zhenmei's heart pounded like a drum.

A few breaths passed.

He suppressed his alarm, only then realizing he was still sitting in his chair in the presence of the immortal master. Hastily, he rose and clasped his hands in a bow.

"Greetings, Immortal Master—"

He also bowed to the Mountain God and the other man in white. Though Scholar Lu had told him that one was a mortal, standing among immortals and gods, this man laughed and joked freely—he was not someone to be trifled with.

After all, it was easier to face the King of Hell than to deal with petty demons.

He maintained his bowing posture, slightly bent forward. "This Humble One has done his utmost to gather the sum and dares not break the agreement."

"And how much money did Lu the Eldest send you when he begged the immortals?" Jiang She asked leisurely.

Zhang Zhenmei looked at his ledger every day; he didn't need to flip through it to know.

"To answer the Immortal Master, there were... six hundred and eighty strings, all short of the full count—eight hundred cash to a string."

"Count out the money."

"Six hundred and eighty strings should be enough, right? Taibai, go help him call for a few donkey carts."

Eight hundred cash strung together made one string. Six hundred and eighty strings stacked together was a weight no ordinary person could bear. Only horse or donkey carts could transport the money, and it would take several trips.

Xiangyang was a small town; people were reluctant to spend freely, so donkey carts were more common, and there were specialized cart-and-horse rental businesses.

Li Bai agreed, got up, and went out to find the cart shop.

Only the Immortal Master and the master of the mountains and rivers remained in the courtyard—both immortals and gods.

Zhang Zhenmei's heart pounded like a drum, thumping wildly. He swallowed his saliva and forced himself to calm down. He pushed open the door. The two child acolytes hadn't heard the commotion outside; they were squatting on the ground, slowly counting strings of cash. The chest in front of them was nearly full, and several more boxes were piled nearby.

He said, "Count out six hundred and eighty strings."

Then he remembered to ask, "When you string the cash, is it eight hundred to a string?"

Seeing the two acolytes nod, Zhang Zhenmei's expression improved slightly.

The two of them squatted back down to recount the money. Zhang Zhenmei didn't want to go back out and face the immortal and god in the courtyard, so he found a chair, sat down, closed his eyes, and listened to the clinking of copper coins.

Qingyu asked, "Master, which family do we pay first?"

"Lu the Eldest."

After a while.

Li Bai had already returned with several donkey carts. The courtyard couldn't hold them all, so they borrowed some space from the neighbors.

Since it was a request, he also brought the neighbors two gulouzi to eat—flatbread stuffed with lamb and roasted together, the bread baked dry and slightly charred, lamb fat dripping down, the aroma wafting everywhere.

A gift softens a request. The neighbor agreed readily.

They didn't know about the Lu family's affairs. They only knew that the courtyard had changed hands a while back, now belonging to an old Daoist with two child acolytes. He was mysterious and elusive, rarely seen, with the occasional cart coming in to move things. There wasn't much of a relationship.

Seeing Jiang She and the others.

The neighbor, eyeing the donkey carts coming and going, said, "Are you relatives of this household? Going on a long trip?"

He smelled the fragrant, slightly charred gulouzi and swallowed. He turned back to tell his son to take them to the kitchen, to be shared with the whole family at dinner.

Having taken something for nothing, the man felt a bit embarrassed, but he couldn't bear to give one back. So he washed some fruits the younger generation had picked in the mountains and handed them to the three.

Jiang She smiled.

He took the fruits the neighbor offered.

He took a bite—sour with a hint of sweetness.

Edible enough, all things considered.

People are strange creatures. Sometimes you treat them well, give them some convenience, and they're willing to treat you better in return, send you a little something.

Other times, they argue endlessly over a few feet of wall, insisting on reclaiming that advantage, even writing letters to pressure you through an official relative.

All part of the honest local customs.

While Zhang Zhenmei and the others were busy stringing and counting coins, Jiang She and his two companions stood under the tree by the gate, chatting idly with a neighbor.

The neighbor said business was good this year—his boy had dug up some poria from the mountains, and the wealthy families in the county were eager to buy. He added that his third brother worked in the county office as a runner, and had even been called in for questioning by the magistrate, which meant he had some pull. If they ever ran into any thieves or bandits, they could seek him out.

Jiang She smiled and nodded along.

Now and then he chimed in, but Li Bai did most of the talking.

After chatting for a while, the neighbor realized these visitors were here to see the old Daoist and his two young disciples, and his tone grew familiar.

Curious, he asked.

"Young Master Jiang, they say Daoists catch ghosts. Since you know that old Daoist, have you ever run into any ghosts?"

Jiang She glanced at Li Bai.

Li Bai laughed. "We have."

The neighbor jumped. "Yi! That must've been thrilling! The ghost didn't hurt anyone, did it?"

"Didn't hurt anyone."

The ghosts Li Bai had seen were all dazed and muddled, barely holding onto a thought. If a person had strong blood and yang energy, young and vigorous, they'd even scatter those ghosts' forms on contact.

He figured that if a ghost could hurt someone, it must have some cultivation.

The neighbor pressed on.

"And are there really immortals in this world? My third brother comes back telling everyone he meets that some of his colleagues ran into an immortal."

"Tells it like it's real—even my wife believes him. She went off today to repeat it to her family, and I couldn't stop her. If you ask me, it's all nonsense. Immortals aren't that easy to meet."

Jiang She finished his fruit and tucked away the pit, listening to the man speak.

He didn't say a word.

Li Bai, standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle. He lowered his head and bit into his fruit.

The neighbor didn't notice him, rambling on about the rumors he'd heard these past days. Such a rare story happening in Xiangyang—an immortal encountered by them—made it seem like everyone around had heard of it or lived through it.

Since he'd found someone who hadn't, he had to talk it through thoroughly.

"They also say there's an old immortal on Lumen Mountain outside the city, with a full head of white hair and beard—just... just like this old gentleman here."

"Almost forgot to ask."

"Old sir, how old are you this year?"

"Must be eighty or ninety, with that white beard, and still looking so healthy—truly blessed."

The Lumen Mountain God chuckled, thought for a moment, and said.

"Can't even count them anymore..."

Received so many monthly tickets—thank you, everyone.