That evening, Yi Shuyuan read a book while eating a few cornmeal buns with water. It was not the book the Mountain God had given him, but a volume titled Record of Rare Delicacies. What he was doing could not be called exactly the same as watching food videos while eating instant noodles in his previous life, but the two certainly played the same tune on different instruments.
After finishing the three buns on the table, Yi Shuyuan put down the book and sighed softly.
"Ah, just hold out for another two days."
Yi Shuyuan murmured this to comfort himself. In another two days, he would finally receive his pay. Until then, he would make do with whatever he could eat.
He had nearly exhausted the money Yi Baokang had given him. Buying even a few everyday necessities had swallowed up a considerable portion, leaving his purse painfully thin.
The Yuanjiang County Office settled its accounts after the twentieth of each month, which was only two days away. Yi Shuyuan did not want to borrow money or ask for an advance, so he would simply wait for payday.
As for his progress at work, it was indeed slower than expected. Yi Shuyuan felt certain he would not receive the full amount, but his salary was paid in equal monthly installments based on a tentative estimate of how long the job would take, so it should not be too little. In the end, whether he took longer or finished sooner, the total payment would remain the same.
"It should be at least three strings of cash, right?"
Yi Shuyuan could not help smiling. If this were not temporary work, a full year's salary would amount to over forty taels of silver, and there were actually plenty of holidays. On paper, he had one day off every ten days, but in practice there were holidays for the New Year, the Cold Food Festival, the Shangyuan Festival, the Zhongyuan Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, various seasonal celebrations, and even the emperor's birthday.
Looking at it that way, Yi Shuyuan felt that if his aspirations did not lie in the mortal world, and if he had not already embarked on the path of cultivation, his current job would be rather good.
While idly entertaining these thoughts, Yi Shuyuan suddenly felt a cold, yin presence approaching from afar, giving him a slight start.
That definitely isn't a cold breeze. A ghost, or a Netherworld Official? There's also that faint, elusive scent of sandalwood-a divine spirit!
The County Office was relatively quiet at this hour, sharpening Yi Shuyuan's senses a little. He detected the divine spirit's presence sooner than he had during the day. Rising, he walked to the door, opened it, and looked in the direction he sensed.
At that very moment, Sun Heng, the Day Patrol Officer he had met at noon, appeared at the far end of the corridor and saw Yi Shuyuan looking toward him from the Library doorway.
Sun Heng was momentarily taken aback. Realizing that Yi Shuyuan had already known he was coming, he hurried over and bowed with the utmost respect.
"Sun Heng, Day Patrol Officer under the City God's command, pays his respects to Mr. Yi!"
Yi Shuyuan returned the bow, then immediately asked about the outcome of his request.
"Day Patrol Officer Sun, has the City God replied?"
Hearing the faint anticipation in Yi Shuyuan's voice, Sun Heng nodded and answered.
"Indeed, sir. The City God instructed me to convey his invitation to meet at the City God Temple tomorrow, after it opens at the hour of the Hare. Would that suit you?"
What objection could Yi Shuyuan possibly have? Naturally, he agreed.
"That would be excellent. Please inform the City God that I will be at the City God Temple tomorrow at the hour of the Hare. Thank you for conveying the message, Day Patrol Officer Sun!"
"You are most welcome, sir! If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
"Very well. I won't see you out!"
Sun Heng felt no oppressive weight at all when speaking with Yi Shuyuan. On the contrary, the air around him felt fresh and natural. Remembering the City God's grave expression, he could not help wondering whether the City God was being overly anxious.
As the Day Patrol Officer bade Yi Shuyuan farewell, a figure passing the entrance to a small courtyard at the other end of the corridor stopped. Seeing Yi Shuyuan standing in his doorway as though speaking to someone, he knit his brows tightly.
What is Mr. Yi doing? But when Yi Shuyuan looked over with a smile, the figure smiled back. Just then, the Netherworld Official passed by, stirring up a gust of chill wind that sent a shiver through Chu Hang.
"Brother Chu, are you here to see Lord Wu again?"
"Uh, yes!"
"Mm, he should be in the usual place. Go on ahead."
With that, Yi Shuyuan returned to the Library. As Chu Hang passed it, he peered inside and saw Yi Shuyuan bent over his desk, writing.
After a glance, Chu Hang left, though his brows remained stubbornly furrowed. Word had previously spread through the County Office that ordinary ghosts could not enter its grounds, so what he had just seen must have been his imagination.
But what if it wasn't an ordinary ghost?
"Hiss..."
Chu Hang hurriedly shook himself and quickened his pace, yet still could not resist glancing back toward the Library. It did not quite add up, though, and it was not even dark yet. Had he simply been overthinking things?
Although he comforted himself with that thought, Chu Hang's mind refused to settle.
Because of some rather unpleasant childhood experiences, Chu Hang had seen more than his share of so-called masters who swindled and deceived, or boasted to the heavens over a mere smattering of ability. Yet it was in Yuanjiang County, which he regarded as something of a second hometown, that he had met Yi Shuyuan. First there had been his help in bringing a wronged spirit's grievance before the authorities, and later the incident they had experienced together at the tea shelter. All of it made Yi Shuyuan seem increasingly mysterious.
A certain hope, buried for years because nothing could be done about it in his childhood, seemed to be beginning to sprout again in Chu Hang's heart.
That night, Yi Shuyuan did not stay up late. Instead, he returned early to his single room and lay down. Naturally, he was not merely going to sleep; he once again began cultivating through his own insights.
Cultivation was certainly not something to approach recklessly, but Yi Shuyuan had the Dao in his heart. The advantage was that whenever something felt wrong, he could examine it himself. Besides, for now, he was merely drawing in and releasing the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
With the Day Patrol Officer's earlier reminder in mind, Yi Shuyuan cultivated with a lighter touch that night, but also with greater care. He lay on his bed and drifted peacefully to sleep, slowly drawing in and releasing that elusive spiritual energy with each breath.
To Yi Shuyuan, it felt as though he were lying outdoors, with a faint breeze constantly brushing past him and soothing every pore. It was also as if moonlight were falling straight through the roof onto his body, making him feel surrounded by light even in his dreams.
As the sky began to brighten, Yi Shuyuan woke naturally once more. He stepped outside and looked east, beyond the courtyard wall.
The rising sun bathed Yi Shuyuan's face in red. That hazy Yang Fire spilled across heaven and earth with the sunlight; no wonder yin spirits and their kind struggled to appear during the day.
It was nearly time. Yi Shuyuan washed up briefly, then left the County Office for the City God Temple. Before long, he reached the street outside it.
The sun had just risen, and there were not many people on the street, but plenty of vendors had already begun their preparations. The shops had opened their doors as well, though no one had started calling out yet, leaving the street somewhat quiet.
Yi Shuyuan walked alone, taking note of places such as bun shops and noodle houses. Still, meeting the City God came first, so he kept moving.
Since it was no special occasion and there was no need to compete to offer the first incense, few worshippers were near the City God Temple so early in the morning. The incense sellers, however, had already taken their places.
As soon as Yi Shuyuan approached, an eager vendor called out to him.
"Ah, young master, here to worship the City God? I see you haven't brought incense or candles. Why not buy some from me? Three sticks of incense for just two copper coins!"
"Thank you, but no!"
Yi Shuyuan declined with a smile and walked straight toward the temple entrance.
In a private room at the Drunken Guest Pavilion opposite the City God Temple, Chu Hang wiped his face with a hot cotton towel brought by a waiter. Two or three people lay sprawled over the nearby table and couch. They had spent almost the entire night drinking merrily, listening to songs, composing poetry, and making a ruckus.
Tongxin Pavilion was good, but it was too close to the County Office, making it easy for his uncle to catch him. For a whole night of revelry, the Drunken Guest Pavilion, one of the two establishments, was the best choice.
Feeling a little more alert, Chu Hang put down the towel and happened to glance out the window. He paused in surprise: Yi Shuyuan had actually come to the City God Temple first thing in the morning.
Perhaps because yesterday's incident had been weighing on his mind, Chu Hang hesitated, glanced at his sleeping friends, then went straight downstairs as though guided by some unseen impulse.
Beyond the sight of ordinary mortal eyes, two Netherworld Officials were already waiting on either side of the temple entrance. When Yi Shuyuan approached, Sun Heng and the other Day Patrol Officer immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Mr. Yi, the City God has been awaiting you for some time. Please follow us!"
Yi Shuyuan cupped his hands without speaking and followed the two Day Patrol Gods into the temple. They passed through the outer courtyard and outer hall, crossed the central courtyard, and reached the inner courtyard. The temple gates had only just opened, and the interior was quiet and deserted, with scarcely any worshippers even in the main hall.
"This way, Mr. Yi!"
Sun Heng went ahead and stepped into the main hall, with Yi Shuyuan close behind. Yet the instant Yi Shuyuan crossed the threshold, the light around him abruptly dimmed.
At the same vendor's stall, Chu Hang bought three sticks of incense, his gaze fixed all the while in Yi Shuyuan's direction.
After Yi Shuyuan entered the City God Temple's main hall, Chu Hang cautiously made his way into the temple courtyard. But it seemed that in the space of a moment's distraction, the City God Hall had become completely empty. This left him rather unsettled.
"I'm here to worship, just here to worship!"
Muttering those words and clutching his three sticks of incense, Chu Hang hesitated before walking into the City God Hall with a show of ease. He made a pretense of bowing first, but could find no trace of Yi Shuyuan from the corner of his eye. He finally made a circuit of the hall, yet still failed to find him.
"How strange. I clearly saw him come in."
Back at the main hall's entrance, Chu Hang muttered to himself with tightly furrowed brows. Then he instinctively glanced at the City God's statue, and his heart gave a sudden leap.
Had anyone else vanished after entering the temple, Chu Hang would have been more inclined to think they had simply missed each other. But Yi Shuyuan was, after all, the County Office's extraordinary figure, and Chu Hang had clearly been watching that direction closely. Under these circumstances, he could hardly keep his imagination from running wild.
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