“Lu Lang, hurry back soon, Qingyan will be waiting for you at home.” Liu Qingyan’s eyes were filled with anticipation.
In ancient times, Lu Zheng smiled warmly, waved to Liu Qingyan at the doorstep, tidied his prepared items, then mounted his horse and rode tercianrodea hacia fuera de la ciudad.
On both sides of the horse, one side carried an iron cage covered with a piece of sackcloth, inside which lay the frost-covered corpse of a wild dog. The other side held two bundles: one square, containing a wooden box, and the other long and narrow, appearing stiff and rigid.
Since this trip was to Yizhou’s Anomaly Suppression Bureau and the journey was long with many items to carry, Lu Zheng had rented a horse to transport everything.
He did not follow the usual practice of leaving his items at home and retrieving them upon arrival. The corpse of the southern border shaman was to be handed over to the Anomaly Suppression Bureau. What if they grew suspicious and noticed he was travelling empty-handed?
Besides the shaman’s corpse, Lu Zheng had bought three ornaments online: a welcoming pine, a tiger descending the mountain, and a carp leaping over the dragon gate, all made of multicoloured glass. This time, he brought the welcoming pine, planning to pawn it for some money to buy the confectionery shop outright and open a sugar refinery to cover the flaw of bringing sugar from the modern era.
…
Following the mountains and crossing rivers, Yizhou City came into view.
A wide official road led to a five-zhang-high bluestone city wall, complete with a barbican, battlements, and a heavy-eaved arrow tower. Lu Zheng finally saw a city wall resembling those in historical dramas.
The previous night, Lu Zheng had arrived near Yizhou City around the hour of Xu, when the city gates were already closed, so he stayed at an inn outside the city. Early the next morning, he entered the city.
At dawn, just past the hour of Mao, Lu Zheng led his horse, mingling with farmers and vendors queuing to enter the city.
“Hyah!”
Many were entering the city, and just as many were leaving. Lu Zheng looked up to see a convoy of five carriages slowly exiting, led by a burly man riding a tall horse. His expression was stern, his eagle-like gaze sharp as an arrow, piercing like light or lightning.
A warrior!
His surging vitality was unconcealed, marking him as a skilled martial artist who had cultivated martial blood energy to a considerable level.
Behind him followed an aide, who, though not exuding blood energy, had a steady presence. His movements harmonised with the horse’s rhythm, revealing an undeniable martial artist’s identity, likely with formidable skills.
On the carriages behind them, each bore a small flag inscribed with the words “Xiong Feng.” Two or three men accompanied them, their gazes sharp, carrying knives and swords, their forms agile and steps forceful.
Xiong Feng Escort Agency!
By the heavens, this was the true martial world!
Lu Zheng’s eyes gleamed as he watched the group, inadvertently meeting the gaze of the leading burly man.
Lu Zheng nodded and smiled, and the other man instinctively nodded back in greeting.
They passed each other.
Lu Zheng kept observing the passing carriages and the escorting hands, his eyes filled with curiosity.
The leading burly man glanced back, saw Lu Zheng’s expression, and shook his head with a chuckle. His aide gave a low laugh. “Probably a scholar with a heart for martial arts.”
The burly man nodded, glancing at the folding fan tucked at Lu Zheng’s waist, and smiled. “Just like how our brothers listen to stories, imagining themselves as refined, literary scholars.”
The aide laughed too, glancing back at Lu Zheng, who had already blended into the crowd entering the city.
Looking at their own convoy, the aide shouted, “It’s early morning, everyone, stay sharp and pick up the pace. I am Xiong Feng!”
“I am Xiong Feng!”
“I am Xiong Feng!”
…
“Hello, may I ask how to get to the Anomaly Suppression Bureau?”
Lu Zheng, leading his horse, stopped inside the city gate to ask a soldier.
Seeing Lu Zheng pause to ask, the soldier rolled his eyes, about to scold, but swallowed his rebuke upon hearing the question.
Someone inquiring about the Anomaly Suppression Bureau couldn’t be ordinary, could they?
“Follow the main street south. On the main street in the south of the city, there’s a Xiuyun Tower. Turn east down the street south of Xiuyun Tower, and after a short walk, you’ll see the Anomaly Suppression Bureau.”
“Thank you!” Lu Zheng clasped his hands in gratitude.
“You’re welcome, sir!” The soldier’s tone was neither servile nor overbearing, earning a bit more of Lu Zheng’s respect.
…
Yizhou Prefecture City, as expected of the bustling capital governing eight counties, known as the most prosperous in Lingbei Circuit. The streets were wide, shops abundant, traffic flowing like a river, and the hum of voices filled the air.
As Lu Zheng walked, he passed vendors selling pork, poultry, fish, grains, oils, noodles, salt, and wine. Daily necessities included cloth shops, ready-made clothing stores, shoe and hat shops, lantern and candle stores, umbrella shops, and general stores. There were also calligraphy and painting shops, cosmetic stores, jewellery shops, musical instrument shops, lacquerware, copper and tin shops, charcoal shops, pawnshops, fan shops, flower shops, brokerage firms, and money exchanges. There were scribes for hire, fortune-tellers, matchmakers, and street performers.
Not to mention restaurants, taverns, brothels, bookstores, chess rooms, gambling dens, and racetracks…
Such prosperity, truly a living scene from the Qingming Scroll!
…
Leading his horse, Lu Zheng strolled from the north gate to the south of the city, finally spotting the Xiuyun Tower the soldier had mentioned.
No wonder it served as a landmark. The Xiuyun Tower stood eight zhang tall with seven stories, adorned with carved beams, embroidered pillars, upturned eaves, and draped with luxurious curtains. It towered half a head above surrounding buildings, standing out like a crane among chickens.
“Tch, impressive!”
Lu Zheng stood across the street, admiring it before turning into the street beside it, heading east.
Though not narrow, this street was lined with residences, and the further he went, the sparser the crowd became. Passersby looked at Lu Zheng with a hint of eeriness and awe.
Lu Zheng wasn’t surprised. The Anomaly Suppression Bureau dealt with demons and ghosts, so it was likely far from ordinary. Though his two encounters had been with Duan Changzai, that didn’t mean the Bureau only housed martial artists.
If Lu Zheng’s cultivation wasn’t profound, and this trip wasn’t to deliver merit, he might not have dared to come.
What if they saw through his origins?
…
After passing three intersections, an unremarkable courtyard came into view. Lu Zheng knew it was the Anomaly Suppression Bureau because of the signboard on the gate. He could read.
The main gate was closed, suggesting few people visited uninvited.
Just as Lu Zheng thought this, hurried footsteps approached. He turned to see a minor official jogging past, pushing open a side door by the main gate, entering, and closing it behind him.
Lu Zheng, “…”
He stepped to the main gate, tied the reins to a hitching post by the wall, took the items from the horse, and, following suit, opened the side door and walked in.
Then, seven or eight pairs of eyes, belonging to guards or passersby, all fixed on Lu Zheng.
