Fuyao Commandery.
It lay north of Fengyang Commandery.
Its lands were vast and sparsely populated, its soil fertile, and winds blew all year round.
It was one of the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty's three northeastern commanderies.
Alongside travelers heading north, a master and disciple slowly entered the commandery. They were none other than Xuanming and Li Zizai.
It was early autumn, and half a year had passed since they left Fengyang Commandery. Sometimes they followed narrow, winding paths; sometimes they took broad official roads.
They had dined in the wind and slept beneath the sky, and they had lodged in village homes.
They had weathered wind and rain, frost, snow, and hail.
They had reasoned with mountain bandits, making them repent bitterly and mend their ways.
They had delivered babies for pregnant women, bringing mother and child safely out of danger.
They had slain murderous demons, rescued drowning children, cadged drinks from traveling merchants, and had beggars even poorer than themselves cadge drinks from them.
Simple farmers had welcomed them warmly, at the cost of their donkey spending a day turning a millstone and plowing fields; village dogs had also chased them away.
If the dogs stopped after a short chase, all was well. If they refused to give up, Xuanming would reward their remarkable perseverance with a stroke of fortune, using them as offerings to the temple of his five viscera.
If someone else ate them, they were merely eaten for nothing.
If he ate them, it was a blessing.
Whenever they passed through a city, they bought some dry provisions, paused briefly to sample the local character, and continued on their way.
After half a year of trudging onward under a load, Li Zizai carried increasingly heavy belongings and grew increasingly thin, but his gains were considerable.
His