The County Magistrate Arrives

By the time Zhang Zhenmei finally finished packing the crates and laboriously loaded them one by one onto the donkey cart, then rushed to the Lu residence, over an hour had passed.

When the Grand Matriarch of the Lu family saw cart after cart of her recovered wealth, her hands trembled, and the steward beside her quickly steadied her.

She tottered over to Jiang She, her lips quivering slightly. She made to bow and offer her respects.

"This old woman thanks you, sir!"

Jiang She stepped aside; he would not accept such a salute from an elderly person.

The Grand Matriarch then paid her respects to the mountain god, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.

Their Lu family had a small Buddhist shrine, which housed the Three Pure Ones of Daoism, the Buddha of Buddhism, and several standing statues of deities. Among them was an inconspicuous little deer god, vaguely remembered as the spirit of nearby Lumen Mountain.

This statue was small, crudely fired and lopsided. The servants had never heard of any deer god and had wanted to throw it away. But the Grand Matriarch felt it was unwise to discard something so divine and strange, so she kept it enshrined, cleaning it once every ten days.

Who could have imagined that this very Deer Mountain God would be the one to save their Lu family?

The old mountain god said nothing, nor did he step aside, standing together with Master Jiang.

The one who had made an agreement with him back then was Scholar Lu, now nothing but bones in a grave. The second generation he had watched grow up, and the third-generation grandchildren he had seen born, had long since returned to the earth.

Now there was the Grand Matriarch, Lu the Eldest, and the eldest daughter of the Lu family.

They had long since had nothing to do with him.

The Old Deer Mountain God looked at them, his gaze no different from how he looked at any other mortal.

Servants bustled back and forth, several working together to lift heavy chests down from the donkey cart. The plump steward, holding an account book in one hand, recorded the wealth while clicking away at an abacus with the other, his face beaming with joy.

Jiang She said, "The wealth is returned to your family. The Grand Matriarch's worries can now be laid to rest."

Seeing that the Grand Matriarch was old and had endured much, he thought for a moment and offered a word of advice: "If your wealth could be swindled away once, it can be swindled away a second time. It would be wise for the Grand Matriarch to make some preparations."

"This old woman understands, understands..."

"There is one more matter that This Humble One must make clear to the Grand Matriarch."

"What matter? Sir, please speak freely."

Jiang She met her gaze and sighed. He paused for a moment, then said, "This Humble One has heard that your esteemed household once worshipped a deer god. Is this true?"

The Old Deer Mountain God lifted his head.

"Is there something wrong?" The Grand Matriarch's heart tightened.

"It is not a matter of wrong."

Jiang She said, "This deer statue has some history. In the past, the Lu family's ancestor formed a bond with the mountain god, who agreed to watch over the Lu descendants."

The Grand Matriarch listened closely, learning for the first time of this connection between her ancestors and the mountain god. Remembering that the Deer Mountain God had also helped them in this recent crisis, she moved to bow to the deer god again.

A gentle force stopped her, and she found she could not bend at the waist.

"That was a matter of eight hundred years ago." Jiang She's tone was gentle, his words spoken softly.

"You mean..."

"Please return it."

The Grand Matriarch's heart grew anxious; her breath caught in her throat. Not daring to offend this exalted person, she could only cough, the sound muffled, and hurriedly asked, "Why... have we been disrespectful to the Deer God? Or was our devotion insufficient?"

"It is not that."

Facing the Grand Matriarch, who was so advanced in years, Jiang She spoke warmly.

"The Lu family has done no wrong. It is simply that the time has come."

"The mountain god should let go."

"The Lu family should also walk their own path."

"Practice good deeds, keep the family's conduct pure, and the local Earth God and City God will naturally protect you. Grand Matriarch, please be at ease."

The Grand Matriarch felt a sense of loss, as if something had been taken from her. The Lu servants, too, had never imagined their masters had once shared such a bond; they all stared at Jiang She and the Old Deer Mountain God.

This one, with his hair and beard completely white, trembling and unsteady, was indeed aged.

If he were a mortal, looking like this, his family would probably not dare let him move, nor let the wind blow into his room.

Thinking that this was an immortal who had blessed the Lu family for generations...

They felt a kind of dazed confusion, like a kite whose string had snapped.

Jiang She and the mountain god stood where they were, waiting a while longer. Half a quarter of an hour later, a maidservant came forward, holding in both hands an object wrapped in red cloth.

Jiang She handed it to the Old Deer Mountain God.

The Old Deer Mountain God lowered his head and opened the red cloth wrapping, revealing a crooked, crude clay statue. The craftsmanship was truly poor; even a newly apprenticed potter's apprentice could probably have made a better one. It could barely stand upright, and even the antlers were lopsided.

He gazed at it silently.

Vaguely, he recalled Scholar Lu showing him this clay statue back then, that eager, excited look. What Scholar Lu had looked like, what his features were—he could no longer remember.

For a long while, he said nothing.

Finally, he tucked it into his sleeve.

"Many thanks, Master."

He looked at the Lu family: "The bond is severed. I and the Lu clan part ways in peace, each to cultivate on our own from now on."

As the words fell, a surge of azure spiritual energy swept up from the ground, bursting outward and scattering onto everyone in the courtyard. Mortals could not see it, only felt their bodies suddenly lighten and grow much more comfortable.

The Grand Matriarch's brow relaxed slightly. Lu the Eldest felt his body suddenly become lighter, his mind and body at ease, and his daughter beside him lifted her head.

The Old Deer Mountain God withdrew his hand and stood quietly in the courtyard for a while.

Having retrieved the old belongings, Jiang She, Li Bai, and the Old Deer Mountain God departed while the others were still stunned.

After they left, the Lu family courtyard erupted in a clamor like a boiling cauldron, with servants and younger Lu family members chattering on all sides.

Lu Pei was utterly astounded.

He had abandoned his family wealth, seeking to ask about the Way and pursue immortality.

Yet his ancestors had known a local mountain god, who had made an agreement with the family to bless their descendants generation after generation.

For a moment, listening to the courtyard full of discussion, his mind spun with dizziness and confusion.

The next day, the magistrate of Xiangyang County came to visit.

Cheng Zhi carried a set of writing implements, two catties of cured meat, and a simple map tucked into his bosom. He brought no attendants, coming alone in a low-key and frugal manner, and asked the servant.

"Is the master at home?"

Receiving an answer, he cheerfully carried his gifts inside.

The courtyard was very quiet. Unsure which room belonged to the eminent person, he raised his voice: "Is Master Jiang here? Cheng has arrived."

While waiting, he handed the gifts to a servant boy.

He looked around, observing the immortal's dwelling.

It was a larger single-courtyard house, planted with many trees. A desk sat flat beneath a tree, convenient for enjoying the shade. A book lay open, a few withered leaves resting on the paper, a brush set aside.

The courtyard was ordinary and simple, no different from anyone else's home. But Magistrate Cheng Zhi felt it was especially comfortable, quiet and cool, hearing only the birds and insects among the trees, the wind rustling the leaves.

For a moment, he forgot the mundane world.

It let his mind and spirit relax completely.

Surely the place where Tao Yuanming once lived in seclusion could have been no more than this?

Jiang She pushed open the door and walked out, catching sight of him lost in thought. He couldn't help but smile, then turned to instruct a servant to brew a pot of tea, telling them not to add salt or spices.

"Please, have a seat, Magistrate."

The two sat facing each other, dappled light from beneath the tree falling upon them.

Jiang She casually gathered up the half-finished writing and closed it together with the open book, asking someone to put it in his bedroom.

Cheng Zhi caught sight of the cover and, hoping to build rapport, asked.

"Was the master reading the Traditions of Immortals just now?"

"Yes, reading it for amusement."

A divine and extraordinary person, or rather an immortal... reading the Traditions of Immortals written in ancient times. The two things combined stirred a strange feeling in one's heart. The magistrate secretly decided that when he returned, he would go to a bookshop in Xiang Prefecture and buy a copy to read, hoping to catch a bit of immortal aura.

He hadn't forgotten the reason for his visit, and said with a smile.

"I heard that the master went to the Lu residence yesterday and returned the money that swindler had taken. The master's righteousness is great."

He had also brought news from the county office on this trip. "I sent someone with the case files to Deng Prefecture, where the other four households are located. We wouldn't have known without checking—those three had cheated four families in the same place in a row. Coming to Xiangyang this time, Scholar Lu was still the first one they swindled."

"Fortunately, the master was here to expose their fraud. Otherwise, the people of Xiangyang would have suffered."

"Cheng thanks the master."

As he spoke, Cheng Zhi took the simple map from his bosom.

He had befriended Meng Haoran a few days earlier and, through some indirect probing, gained a deeper understanding of the man before him.

He said, "I know the master is traveling as a wandering visitor, so I specially had someone draw a Map of the Ten Circuits of our Great Tang, as a small token of thanks."

"It's not a military one, just the kind the yamen uses for newly appointed officials—better than what's sold in markets and bookshops. The master can rest assured."

During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the realm was divided into ten circuits, each with several prefectures. Later emperors gradually added more, so it was no longer exactly ten circuits, but people still called such maps the Map of the Ten Circuits. They were now in the Shannan East Circuit, a blessed land.

Jiang She accepted it.

"This is already excellent. Thank you, Magistrate."

"This is exactly what Jiang needed."

Magistrate Cheng was an interesting man. His visiting gifts were just ordinary writing brushes and ink, and two catties of cured meat. Yet he had the unique idea of presenting a map.

It suited Jiang She's tastes perfectly.

It was exactly what he needed for his travels.

Though Magistrate Cheng had come because of matters involving immortals and gods, he acted with thoughtfulness and care. In these small details, he inspired goodwill.

A servant arrived with tea. This tea was brought by Jiang She, from the mountains where he had previously lived, and he had asked a skilled tea-roaster to fix and dry the leaves.

The flavor wasn't exceptional, only slightly more ethereal.

Cheng Zhi lifted the teacup, smelling the aroma, and subconsciously felt the tea was a bit bland.

He glanced down at the clear tea liquor. It was a different brewing method—no borneol or musk added, and after sniffing, it seemed there was no salt either.

Did men of stature enjoy tea like this?

"This gentleman has quite an authentic taste."

Cheng Zhi praised, following the customs of the house.

He took a sip.

The moment the tea entered his mouth, it was like drinking ice under a scorching sun—cool and refreshing, clearing the mind. It felt as if his entire being had awakened, his five senses sharpening. For a moment, the chirping of insects became especially pleasant, and he could even hear the calls of street vendors in the distance.

Then, in an instant, it faded.

"This tea..."

Jiang She smiled. "Just coarse, simple tea, but it has some use for relieving the heat."