Chapter 74

Sun Ran continued to work in the government office as usual. His position was just that of an ordinary clerk, and he usually kept a low profile, only doing his job and not getting involved in anything else.

Because he had deliberately concealed his identity and changed his appearance, his colleagues in the office had no idea that Sun Ran was a Taoist priest. They only vaguely knew that he was a relative of the magistrate who had come to seek refuge, and that he was not someone to be trifled with. Seeing his indifferent attitude, they all kept their distance from him.

Today, as usual, Sun Ran waited for more than two hours before the news of the magistrate's promotion came in. He was promoted to a deputy official, a sixth-rank position, as the co-magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture.

Hangzhou was a wealthy place in southern Jiang, much better than River County. This promotion seemed reliable, indicating that Magistrate Yang Tingyong's teacher had considerable influence.

After noon, Yang Tingyong's old servant, Wang Fugui, came to inform Sun Ran that the time to take office was tight and the journey was long, so they would set out soon. He just needed to wait at the city gate.

Sun Ran had anticipated this and bowed, saying, "Uncle Fugui, rest assured, I won't delay the master's important matters."

Wang Fugui knew Sun Ran's true identity and knew he was a great master with divine Taoist powers. He hurriedly waved his hands, "I dare not, I dare not. Just call me Fugui. I won't disturb you further, I'll go and get ready."

"Uncle Fugui, take your time."

Since they were leaving in the afternoon, Sun Ran tidied up his documents and handed them over to a colleague he could talk to. Then he made a round of bows, "Everyone, I'm taking my leave."

There were over twenty clerks on duty in the room. Upon hearing this, they all gave perfunctory bows and said a few words of good wishes, "Safe journey." The matter was thus settled.

When Sun Ran returned to his residence, Ke'er had already packed their luggage. She was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, carrying a bow and arrow, but her face was still as delicate and lovely as a doll's, exuding a charming and graceful demeanor that made Sun Ran's heart race. He couldn't resist teasing her, "Little Sister, you're getting more and more beautiful."

Ke'er giggled and then pretended to be aggrieved, "What good is being beautiful? Big Brother is a great talent and never gives me a second glance."

Her expression was clearly playful, but it sounded somewhat genuine, which confused Sun Ran. If that was the case, why did she often reject him at night? He didn't know how to respond and could only laugh awkwardly.

"Big dummy." Ke'er huffed and then said, "Let's go, I think Magistrate Yang is about to set off."

They had only two bundles, containing some clothes and a bit of silver. The two of them left their residence and walked to the city gate, where they saw the officials who had come to see them off had already returned, and the magistrate's carriage was about to depart.

Most of the people present were familiar faces, including Magistrate Yang and his wife, their two children, a few maids and servants, totaling no more than a dozen people.

To their surprise, there was another person present. This man was broad-shouldered and muscular, wearing a sword-fish uniform, with a chunqiu saber hanging from his waist and a powerful crossbow on his horse's neck. He was a member of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard).

Seeing Sun Ran arrive, Yang Tingyong greeted him warmly, "Brother Renyuan, the time is short, and we must travel hastily. Please bear with us."

Because of his disguise as a clerk, Yang Tingyong had already gotten used to calling him by his new name.

Sun Ran smiled, "It's fine."

Yang Tingyong turned to the Jinyiwei on horseback and said, "This is my close friend, Xu Renyuan, with the Taoist name Changqingzi. He is a master of Taoist arts and was the one who resolved the crisis when the great demon attacked."

The Jinyiwei's eyebrows twitched, but his cold expression remained unchanged. He gave a perfunctory bow, "So you are Daoist Changqing. I hope your Taoist arts are not just for show."

His demeanor was arrogant, and his words treated Sun Ran as if he were a low-ranking performer in the江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Before Sun Ran could react, Ke'er was already unhappy. She pouted and was about to argue, but Sun Ran held her back. Looking back, she saw that Sun Ran was smiling and showed no sign of displeasure.

Yang Tingyong was also surprised. He knew Sun Ran's true abilities, and such a world-class figure could not be insulted like this. He quickly intervened, smiling, "Brother Renyuan, please don't mind. His name is Li Yan, one of the top experts in the Jinyiwei. He is a martial artist and can be a bit rough."

The journey from River County to Hangzhou Prefecture would take them through many desolate mountains and wilderness. Li Yan was a top expert sent by his teacher in the capital to protect them on the way. This man was truly skilled, but he was also arrogant and looked down on all heroes. Before Sun Ran arrived, he had been saying that all Taoists were frauds and that there were no real Taoist arts in the world.

Sun Ran, of course, would not argue with a native of this world. What did it matter if this Jinyiwei looked down on Taoist arts? Besides, it wasn't entirely his fault. There were countless examples of people using minor Taoist arts to cheat for money, which had tarnished the reputation of Taoists.

He smiled faintly and said indifferently, "Brother Wenchang, there's no need to worry about this. Fame and profit are like passing clouds to me, and arguing over righteousness is meaningless."

Upon hearing this, Yang Tingyong secretly praised him. Truly a great Taoist, his realm was indeed different.

He became even more respectful of Sun Ran, believing that this was the true demeanor of a Taoist practitioner.

Li Yan, however, snorted inwardly, taking Sun Ran's retreat as a sign of weakness and becoming even more convinced that he was a charlatan.

With everyone gathered, the caravan set off.

Li Yan led the way, Sun Ran and Yang Tingyong each rode a horse, the male servant drove the carriage, Ke'er and Yang's wife sat in the front carriage, and the back carriage carried a few maids.

They had planned to travel through the night, and indeed, they did. The carriage traveled east along the official road, setting off at six in the morning before dawn and continuing to travel at night if there was moonlight. They only stopped when the horses were too tired to continue, truly enduring the hardships of wind and rain.

However, they didn't encounter any significant issues on the way. A few bandits tried to rob them, but they were all dealt with by the Jinyiwei expert, Li Yan.

Sun Ran also recognized his skills, which were indeed among the best in this world. He had reason to be proud.

After half a month, the caravan entered Zhejiang Province, and a few days later, they reached the Jinhua area, not far from Hangzhou Prefecture.

One night, the sky was clear and the stars were bright, but a sudden gust of wind brought dark clouds that quickly covered the moon. Soon, large raindrops began to fall, and a heavy rainstorm was inevitable.

"Master, should we find a place to take shelter from the rain?" Yang's wife shouted from inside the carriage. The wind was too strong, and she had to shout to be heard.

Yang Tingyong was also anxious. How could the weather change so suddenly? If they couldn't find a place to take shelter, they would be in for a rough night.

Unfortunately, the heavens did not favor Yang Tingyong's wish. The rain soon poured down, drenching the three men on horseback and the carriage driver like drowned rats. The carriage was not much better; after so many days of travel, it was already worn out, and the rain inside was as heavy as the rain outside.

Sun Ran cursed the game administrator in his heart, but he knew it wasn't the administrator's fault. The weather system was controlled by an intelligent brain and couldn't be easily changed.

Li Yan, with his keen eyesight, pointed ahead during a lightning flash, "Look, there's a temple over there."

A thunderclap echoed, and the world turned white. This time, Sun Ran and Yang Tingyong also saw it. There was indeed a temple not far ahead, and it didn't look too dilapidated.

"Let's go!" Li Yan led the way, and the rest followed, turning onto a side road toward the temple.

The temple was not far. After a few minutes, they saw a stone tablet by the roadside with three prominent characters: "Lanruo Temple."

"Up ahead is Lanruo Temple. It looks like a decent place," Li Yan wiped the rain from his face.

The others were all happy and sped up. Only Sun Ran looked thoughtful. In his eyes, the temple was shrouded in a faint black mist, exuding a sinister aura, and it was not a good place.

However, he did not stop them. The rain was pouring down, and they needed a place to take shelter. If there were any ghosts or demons, he would deal with them.

With this in mind, Sun Ran followed them.

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