Du Yu kept walking ahead. The two crossed a deep ditch, and the old man even stopped to take a piss along the way. Before long, they reached the main road.
It turned out that the main road was only an hour's walk from the Peach Blossom Spring, and a county town stood not far away.
"So the Peach Blossom Spring is this close to the county town..." Du Yu murmured. "But who would ever imagine an entire village hidden inside a mountainside?"
"There's a village?!" the old man exclaimed. "Which village is it? An hour from my house-could it be Wang Family Village?"
Du Yu knew this must be the "Wuling Commandery" mentioned in the text.
"Uncle, wait here for a bit," Du Yu said. "I'll be right back."
"What? You're leaving me here all by myself?" The old man was clearly a little scared.
"Don't worry, Uncle. Haven't you got your Mountain-Splitting Shoulder Pole?" Du Yu said with a smile. "Nobody here will give you trouble. Besides, if you stand guard here, that Water Monkey won't escape your demonic clutches no matter how hard he tries."
"Demonic clutches..." The old man sounded rather helpless. "How did these hands of mine become demonic clutches?"
Du Yu gave him a few more instructions, then turned and headed toward Wuling Commandery.
He knew that unless he "reported to the Prefect" and had him bring people to search for the Peach Blossom Spring, the story would remain stuck.
But when he reached Wuling Commandery, Du Yu realized something was wrong.
Although the three large characters for "Wuling Commandery" were clearly written on the gate tower, the city was filled with beggars and displaced people.
The streets were dilapidated and the people destitute, a stark contrast to the scene inside the Peach Blossom