Lu Zheng blinked, rubbing his chin. “That’s it? All done?”
Liu Qingyan sensed carefully for a moment, then nodded and said, “Only these four; there are no other ghostly beings left in the inn.”
“Winning so easily feels a bit unreal,” Lu Zheng grumbled.
Liu Qingyan could not help but chuckle softly. “Winning easily isn’t good? Do you want to encounter a fierce ghost and battle for three hundred rounds instead?”
“Heh heh, I’m just saying.”
This inn was right by the roadside and not built in a place where yin energy gathered, so once the four ghostly beings died, the yin energy permeating the inn began to dissipate slowly.
After a few days of sun exposure, it would probably turn into an ordinary inn.
The only thing that surprised Lu Zheng somewhat was that the inn had not used any ghostly illusion techniques; all the furnishings in the rooms were actually real.
“Impressive! Professional!” Lu Zheng praised and commented. “If we encountered a wandering expert, they might really have been fooled.”
Liu Qingyan’s eyes flashed, and she said softly, “I remember Proprietor Luo said these people at the inn are from a nearby village. If that’s the case, could that village have issues too?”
“Hm?”
Lu Zheng thought for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll inquire in the morning tomorrow.”
These four ghostly beings had just contributed some light of fortune, so Lu Zheng became interested in more light of fortune.
Judging from the strength of these four minor ghosts, that village probably did not have any powerful ghostly beings… right?
Liu Qingyan asked, “Should we tell them the truth?”
Lu Zheng shook his head. “Of course not; they’ve been travelling this path for two years. If we say anything, they might think we’re bandits out to rob and kill.”
…
The next morning.
Luo Jin and his group all got up, dressed, and came to the main hall, where they saw Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan already there.
The proprietor was calculating accounts behind the counter, sounds of firing up the stove and cooking came from the kitchen, one waiter was sweeping at the door, and the other was serving breakfast to everyone.
The atmosphere was harmonious and warm.
“Esteemed guests are awake? Today’s breakfast is steamed buns with pickles, and millet porridge.” The waiter serving breakfast said, “Please sit, gentlemen; there are big meat-filled steamed buns coming up after.”
“Good, good, good!”
“Slept a night; just right, I’m hungry!”
…
After eating breakfast, they bid farewell and left.
The proprietor personally saw everyone to the door, waving for a long time before turning back to the inn.
“Old Luo, I’ve travelled this path for two years, and this is the first time I’ve seen the proprietor so enthusiastic; looks like there really aren’t many guests, so he’s not busy at all,” Luo Jin sighed.
And when the group had walked some distance and turned a mountain bend, out of their sight, the four people in the inn just now vanished like dream bubbles.
…
“By the way, Proprietor Luo, you said these people at the inn are from a nearby village?”
Lu Zheng held Liu Qingyan’s hand and in two steps came to Luo Jin’s side, inquiring.
“Yes!” Luo Jin nodded.
“How do you know?”
“They said so!” Luo Jin stated matter-of-factly.
Lu Zheng, “…”
Liu Qingyan asked gently, “So, you haven’t been to that village either?”
“No.” Luo Jin shook his head. “Most of the women and children in the village work at the post station near the official road. The proprietor said these few are strong and sturdy, so they crossed a few hills to open an inn here and earn more money.”
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan exchanged a glance.
If most people in that village were working on the official road, of course it could not be a ghost village. Since that was the case, the proprietor had just made up a background to dispel the vigilance of passing merchants.
Lu Zheng and the other did not ask further.
People accustomed to taking this mountain path would naturally not take the official road to verify the inn’s authenticity.
And the authorities could not possibly manage the thousands of small paths deep in the Ling Mountains.
This ghostly inn was also cautious, only striking at lone caravans, and not frequently at that. Even if someone heard rumours, they would just think it was bad luck, devoured by mountain beasts or even spirits.
After all, most people came through fine, didn’t they?
So, no one knew how long this ghostly inn had been open or how many lives it had taken without being discovered.
It was just bad luck that it ran into Lu Zheng.
…
The rest of the journey had no unexpected occurrences; after all, even on a small path, with merchants passing north and south every day, most sections of the road had been widened considerably.
The truly difficult parts were things like a one-foot narrow path along a cliff, or clambering over uneven strange peaks and rocks, or several rope bridges strung between cliff faces.
As for mountain tigers, blind bears, and mountain spirits or tree demons, they did not encounter any.
…
On the fifth day at noon, the group exited the mountains and, by mid-afternoon, arrived at the nearest village.
“I told you this path is both near and quick and safe,” Luo Jin laughed to Lu Zheng. “I’ve travelled it for two years, and nothing has ever happened.”
“Ah yes, yes, yes!” Lu Zheng nodded but still could not help advising, “But I’ve heard that every year quite a few people go missing on the small paths. If there’s no urgent matter, it’s best not to take small paths unless necessary. Even if taking a small path, it’s better to gather more people.”
Luo Jin nodded repeatedly with a smile. “Thank you for the kind advice, young master; I understand.”
Knowing Luo Jin had not taken it to heart, Lu Zheng would not advise further.
“Where is the young master planning to go next? Can we travel together for the remaining journey?” Luo Jin asked.
“No need; we’ve already exited the Ling Mountains. We’ll just wander the mountains and rivers at our leisure and not delay your hurrying,” Lu Zheng refused.
“Good, good, good.” Luo Jin agreed with a smile, then restocked some dry rations in the village with the caravan before leaving.
As for Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan, they followed the tree line beside the official road southward.
…
Exiting the Ling Mountains meant entering Lingnan territory.
Apart from not taking the official road, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan did not deliberately avoid people. At every county or prefecture town, they would go in to stroll, eat local Lingnan specialties, and stay overnight in a town inn.
After several days, they arrived at Yongzhou, the prefecture in Lingnan near the southern frontier.
…
Yongzhou, Wangshan County, Dinghai Tower.
Sitting in a private booth on the third floor, watching the southern frontier folk shuttling back and forth on the street, dressed in clothes of a hundred colours, heads adorned with various decorations, speaking Great Jing official dialect with accents, whether in daily life or trade, all extremely adept.
Liu Qingyan’s face was full of curiosity. “I never expected Yongzhou to be such a scene.”
“After all, the southern frontier is chaotic, yet the people still yearn for peaceful lives,” Lu Zheng said. “I just don’t know what the northern domain is like.”
Just as he said two sentences, the waiter brought up various mountain delicacies and wild flavours special to the southern frontier, meat and vegetables matched, along with a pot of mushroom soup that looked brilliantly coloured, steaming hot.
“These mushrooms…” Lu Zheng looked at the red, yellow, blue, and green varieties of mushrooms in the pot and could not help but swallow.
“These mushrooms, eat them while hot!” The waiter greeted the two, even enthusiastically ladling a bowl for each.
Lu Zheng: (´°Δ°`)
Liu Qingyan: (°ー°〃)
