Chapter 6

On the other side.

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Qian Qi, the tall and imposing man in black riding a large horse, watched from a distance as Cheng Bu Zheng walked into Yaoshan Town, and then without a moment's hesitation, he turned back the way he came.

At the moment the tall man in black turned his horse and rode back, Cheng Bu Zheng, who had already entered the town, stepped out from a corner and quietly watched the black-clad man ride away.

He recognized this person; he was one of the scouts guarding the sides of the Qian family's convoy.

Cheng Bu Zheng silently turned and walked into the town. After nearly a day of continuous travel, he was very tired, and this was certainly not the best time to leave Yaoshan Town.

In a secluded corner of Yaoshan Town, he found an inn, ate a meal, and then fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

In the middle of the night.

In a secluded corner of Yaoshan Town, a small figure emerged from the inn.

Cheng Bu Zheng walked out of the town in the dark, fortunately, the moonlight was bright enough to see the road clearly. He walked along the main road toward the county town, falling to the ground many times. A journey that should have taken one hour took him three hours.

Under the moonlight, Cheng Bu Zheng saw the three large characters "Ping'an County" carved above the city gate. At that moment, he was in a sorry state, with his clothes covered in mud and even his face was dirty.

At first glance, he looked no different from a small beggar, the only difference being that he held a mud-covered bundle in his hand.

Seeing the city gate tightly closed, Cheng Bu Zheng knew that a boy who looked like a beggar would not be able to get the guards to open the gate and let him into the county town.

Only the powerful families or high-ranking officials in the county had that privilege. Ordinary people would be ignored unless they had enough money, otherwise, they wouldn't even be looked at.

Cheng Bu Zheng knew there was no way to enter the county town now. He had to wait until the guards opened the gate at dawn, which was about an hour away.

The night was cold, and the icy wind made him tighten his clothes, preparing to find a place to shelter from the wind.

Soon, he found a recess in the city wall that could shield him from the night's chill. He squatted in a corner and waited quietly for the gate to open.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Bu Zheng silently endured the cold, his body shivering from the cold.

Suddenly.

"Screech... Screech... Screech..."

From the city gate, Cheng Bu Zheng looked up. After squatting for a long time, he struggled to stand up, stretching his limbs. Although his face was still stiff, he could at least walk.

At that moment, the sun had not yet risen.

He slowly walked to the city gate and saw some old women selling vegetables and old men selling charcoal already queuing up to enter the city.

As time passed, the queue moved forward, and soon it was his turn. After a brief inspection by two guards, he was allowed to enter.

Cheng Bu Zheng knew that the guards' behavior was no different from those in the town. Even a single copper coin could be snatched away, so he had hidden the silver he carried in a secret compartment in his shoe, thus avoiding any trouble.

This silver was his usual pocket money, enough to last until the Immortal arrived. Otherwise, he would have to beg for a living.

To meet the Immortal, he had to keep his clothes clean and his face tidy, so that the Immortal would not be repulsed. Cheng Bu Zheng could only do his best, and the rest was up to fate.

As the sun began to rise and the sky turned light.

Cheng Bu Zheng wandered through the county town and eventually found the cheapest inn, which, although in a corner of the town and rather shabby, had a price comparable to that of the inn in Yaoshan Town.

It was a fair price.

Cheng Bu Zheng opened the door to his room, took out the mud-covered bundle, and placed the clean clothes, three porcelain bottles, and a clean brush on the bed.

After fetching some hot water and washing up,

He took the brush and the three porcelain bottles from the bed, looked at his clear reflection in the bucket, opened the porcelain bottles, and used the brush to apply the contents to his face.

By the time the sky was fully light, Cheng Bu Zheng had finished his makeup.

Cheng Bu Zheng's originally pale face had become very fair, his eyebrows looked more heroic, and his entire appearance was completely different from before. If someone who knew him well didn't look closely, they wouldn't recognize him.

The contents of the porcelain bottles were the essence he extracted from herbs, which could not be washed off with water but only with a special solution.

Cheng Bu Zheng did this to avoid being recognized by anyone from the Qian family. Given Qian Zhe's ruthless nature, if he saw him in the county town, the consequences would be unimaginable!

At that time, not only would he be in trouble, but his family would also be implicated. It was better to be prepared for the worst.

After finishing his preparations,

Cheng Bu Zheng lay on the bed, thinking quietly, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the evening, the sunset shone through the window, casting a golden light on Cheng Bu Zheng's face.

His eyebrows twitched slightly, and soon he opened his sleepy eyes, looked at the sky outside, and felt a bit hungry. After tidying up, he left the inn.

Many vendors were shouting on the street, creating a bustling scene. Along both sides of the street were many small stalls selling buns, pancakes, wontons, and more.

Cheng Bu Zheng bought two of the cheapest pancakes to satisfy his hunger.

Then, he wandered around the county town, slowly familiarizing himself with the terrain and making all necessary preparations.

He knew that the Immortal's arrival would cause a huge stir, so he planned to walk around the town once in the morning and once in the afternoon for the next few days. The town was not large, so there was plenty of time.

Cheng Bu Zheng ate pancakes every day to solve his three meals, trying to spend as little money as possible to last longer. Although the inn's fees were not high, they would add up over time!

Otherwise, he would have to sleep on the street, and he might be driven out of the town by the guards. After all, this was a critical time with the Immortal about to arrive, and the officials would not care about the fate of beggars.

At a critical moment, he would not have time to earn money, and even if he did, he would not be able to keep it. It would be like a child carrying gold through a busy market, courting disaster.

One morning,

While wandering around, Cheng Bu Zheng walked down the street, deep in thought: "With the current amount of money, I can only afford seven days of lodging at the inn, and I still need to buy pancakes every day... Sigh... I wonder when the Immortal will arrive!"

Despite his worries, his expression remained calm and composed.

Suddenly, a distant cry was heard.

"The Immortal is here!... The Immortal is really here!"

People surged forward, looking toward the distant sky.

"Really, the Immortal! I saw him ten years ago!"

"I want to become the Immortal's disciple!"

...

For a moment, almost everyone's face was filled with excitement, and they began to discuss the event.

Cheng Bu Zheng looked up at the distant sky and saw a white jade boat, initially about ten feet in size, growing larger as it approached.

He finally felt a sense of relief.

"Finally... If he doesn't come soon, I'll be on the streets!"