Chapter 16

On the second day of the fifth month, early in the morning, all the time travelers gathered in the courtyard behind the main hall, chatting in small groups. Since everyone had heard the news of the arrival of Master Chen Tuan the night before, they did not return to their rooms to write their knowledge manuals as usual after breakfast, but instead gathered in the courtyard, hoping to catch a glimpse of Master Chen Tuan when he came out of his room. They wanted to see if he really looked much younger than Zhou Gong and Yu Gong, as Wang Xiaojun had said. Some of the women even dreamed of learning some beauty secrets from this old immortal to stay young forever. Unfortunately, to their disappointment, after waiting for over an hour, they did not see the old immortal, but only Yu Xuzi. Everyone hurriedly asked when the old immortal would come out. Yu Xuzi replied, "Grandmaster is still in deep sleep, and I do not know when he will wake up." Seeing that everyone seemed not to understand, he explained, "Grandmaster once learned a technique called 'Nose Locking Technique,' also known as 'Sleeping Technique,' which allows him to sleep for a long time without waking up. He might sleep for one or two days, or even one or two years. Usually, he sleeps for two or three months, so I said I do not know when he will wake up." Everyone was stunned, realizing that it was not easy to meet this old immortal. With no choice, they could only leave the courtyard in disappointment.

Yu Xuzi, however, took a few quick steps, grabbed Wang Xiaojun's sleeve, and said, "Leader Wang—since the time travelers held a general assembly and elected a committee, Yu Xuzi has started calling the committee members 'leaders' and 'chiefs.' The others did not bother to explain the meaning of the committee and its members, so they just let him call them that—please wait a moment."

Wang Xiaojun stopped and asked, "What is it, Daoist?"

Yu Xuzi said, "It's nothing serious. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming up, and I plan to send my disciples to Liangxiang County to buy some festival items. Leader Wang and your companions have been here for almost ten days and haven't even left the temple. So I thought, if Leader Wang and the other three leaders agree, you could select a few people to go into the city with my disciples. This will help you relax and get a better understanding of the city, which will be beneficial for future development. What do you think, Leader Wang?"

Wang Xiaojun listened and understood that Yu Xuzi wanted them to relax and not be confined to the temple for too long, as it could lead to problems. Although not everyone could go, there would be more opportunities in the future, and they could take turns. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Daoist. We are more than willing. How many people should we send? How far is the city, and how long will it take to return?"

"This time, my eldest disciple Qingchen and my niece Zhong Ziqi will go with two young disciples. Leader Wang can also select four people to go. Zhong Yuanwai will send several carriages this afternoon. It's forty miles to Liangxiang County, and even by carriage, it will take until tomorrow evening to return," Yu Xuzi explained.

Wang Xiaojun thought it was a good idea, at least they would have a ride and wouldn't have to walk. He said, "In that case, I will discuss it with my companions and select suitable people. We will not miss the departure time."

Back in the room, Wang Xiaojun told Zhang Weixin about Yu Xuzi's suggestion, and Zhang Weixin agreed. They then asked Wang Feng to invite Xu Shaoran and Li Junwu to discuss who should go.

When Xu and Li arrived, Wang Xiaojun explained the situation, and they had no objections. After some discussion, they decided to send Zhang Weixin, Fan Wucheng, Yang Xin, and Wang Feng to the city. Zhang Weixin would handle interactions with the locals, Fan Wucheng would investigate the commercial situation in Liangxiang County, Yang Xin would observe the city's layout, and Wang Feng would be responsible for security. Yang Xin and Wang Feng each carried a pistol for emergencies. They then gathered Fan, Yang, and Wang Feng, and Zhang Weixin, along with Yu Xuzi, explained some common etiquette and taboos of the era, and instructed them to be cautious. After that, they prepared to leave after lunch.

In the afternoon, a disciple reported that the people sent by Zhong Yuanwai had arrived at the temple gate. Yu Xuzi instructed his disciples to prepare and sent someone to notify the time travelers. Soon, the eight selected people were ready and left the temple.

Outside the temple gate, three large carriages, one sedan, and three fine horses, led by the steward Zhong Fu, had been waiting for a long time. Seeing his young mistress come out, Zhong Fu hurriedly greeted her and invited her to the sedan. However, the young mistress ignored the sedan and went straight to a chestnut horse. Zhong Fu, despite his efforts, did not dare to stop her and could only let her have her way. The comfortable sedan was eventually used by Zhang Weixin and Fan Wucheng. Wang Feng and Qingchen rode horses, while Yang Xin and the two young disciples had to sit in the large carriages with Zhong Fu. With the young mistress's command to "set off," the group headed for Liangxiang County.

The forty-mile journey was neither too long nor too short. By sunset, the group had already entered Liangxiang County. Zhong Fu led them to a pre-booked inn, where they planned to settle in and then go shopping before it got dark to save time the next day. The four time travelers decided that Fan Wucheng would go shopping with Qingchen to understand the current business environment. The other three would try to persuade the young mistress to take them around the city to get a feel for the ancient urban landscape. This task naturally fell to Wang Feng, who was eager to spend time with the classical beauty. He readily agreed and soon returned with the young mistress, who was bored and also planning to go out. The four of them, mainly with the young mistress's money (the three time travelers were still penniless), left the inn. The steward Zhong Fu, worried, followed them.

Liangxiang County was not large, with a perimeter of only six miles. A cross-shaped main street divided the city into four parts. Built in the third year of Tiancheng (928 AD) by the military governor of Youzhou, Zhao Dejun, the city protected the southern land route to Youzhou and could be considered the southern gate of Youzhou. Despite its small size, it was a bustling commercial center with many merchants and shops, making it a valuable place for business. The time travelers had a promising future here.

The five of them quickly toured the entire city and eventually arrived at the Chenghuang Temple in the northwest. The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and a temple fair was being held. Despite it being evening, the crowd was still dense. Various shops and stalls were filled with goods, and there were performances on the stage and street artists. The group followed the young mistress, watching and chatting. Although the entertainment was not as advanced as in their previous lives, it was still rare for this era. The young mistress, being a martial artist, was drawn to a group of street performers practicing with spears and staffs. They squeezed into the crowd and saw two people sparring. The moves seemed flashy, but to the young mistress and Wang Feng, they were just showy and meaningless. After watching for a while, they stepped back and commented on the performers' techniques. Wang Feng, seizing the opportunity to impress the classical beauty, chatted enthusiastically, making her laugh continuously.

As they laughed and talked, they passed a crowded stage and were suddenly blocked by someone. The person blocking their way seemed to be a young master from a wealthy family, wearing a silk robe and a hat, and holding a folding fan. He looked decent, but his eyes were unsettling. Wang Feng thought for a while and found the most appropriate word to describe him—sleazy. Although this word did not exist in this era, it best described the young master's demeanor. Wang Feng particularly disliked such a sleazy look, and he was annoyed that this young man had blocked their way. If not for his brother's warning to be cautious, he might have already grabbed the young man by the collar and thrown him aside. He suppressed his anger and was about to ask what was going on when the young mistress shouted, "Xu Gaoyao, why is it you again? Have you forgotten what I said last time? Do you want to be bedridden for another two months?"

"Xu Gaoyao?" Wang Feng was puzzled by this name. How could someone have such a name? Did his family sell plasters? He did not know that "Xu Gaoyao" was a nickname given by the young mistress. The sleazy young master was named Xu Wuchi, the son of a doctor in Liangxiang County. He often hovered around the young mistress like a plaster, hence the nickname.

Hearing the young mistress's rebuke, Xu Wuchi waved his hands and said, "No, no. Miss Zhong, please don't misunderstand. How could I forget your teachings? I just noticed these unfamiliar Taoists with you and thought they must be your new friends, so I wanted to introduce myself and perhaps we could help each other in the future."

The young mistress's anger subsided a bit. She said, "These Taoist brothers are new disciples of my master Yu Xuzi. Since there is a temple fair in Liangxiang County, my little sister naturally wants to show them around. Now that you understand, please stay away. Otherwise, if I get angry, the consequences will be on you."

Seeing the young mistress's small fists waving, Xu Wuchi instinctively shrank back and nodded. "Yes, yes. Miss, please enjoy yourself. I will take my leave." He glanced at the slightly strange Taoists, especially the handsome and well-built young Taoist, and bowed and retreated. The young mistress huffed and led the group away. As they left, Xu Wuchi's face, which had been respectful, turned to one of resentment and jealousy. His eyes glared at the unknown Taoists, and he clenched his teeth, as if he wanted to tear them apart.

On the way back to the inn, Zhong Ziqi explained the background of "Xu Gaoyao," and everyone understood the situation. Their impression of the young man worsened. Wang Feng was particularly indignant, vowing to beat him up if he dared to bother the young mistress again. The young mistress was very pleased with his declaration and encouraged him. Zhang Weixin, however, kept signaling Wang Feng to stay calm, though it was unclear if he noticed.

By the time they returned to the inn, it was already dark. The people who had gone shopping had also returned and were waiting for them to have dinner. Everyone was tired from the day's activities and planned to get up early the next day to finish their shopping. After a hearty meal, they all went to their rooms to rest.