Chapter 536

Zhang Jian held up his oil-paper umbrella, just like an ordinary scion of a great clan, and he likewise queued with others to enter the city, seeing people ahead successively produce their travel permits and copper coins for entry fees; with a wave of his hand he also forged a travel permit, tossed down a few cash coins, and stepped into this small town in the rain.

This small town made Zhang Jian feel as if he had returned once more to Fengxi County.

He held up his oil-paper umbrella; although a fine rain fell around him, beneath the eaves on both sides of the street there were still some hunters, or perhaps vendors, hawking their wares.

Entering and exiting the city once is not easy; at the very least one must earn back the entry fee.

There were also ordinary farming households selling yams, pedicures, and vegetables.

Zhang Jian held up his oil-paper umbrella and proceeded along the bluestone path; to his considerable surprise, though the town was small, it was not squalid—its drains were orderly, and rainwater flowed out of the town along the four-directional, eight-way drainage system.

There was no experience of filth and stench.

Zhang Jian continued forward along the long street, finally arriving before a farmstead's small courtyard.

It was a simple little courtyard, built of packed earth bricks, within which lay some simple household utensils; Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon the interior of the little courtyard.

The Hundred Flowers Fairy was inside the little courtyard.

At this moment he heard another old woman inside the courtyard asking toward the inner room.

"Old man, do you think that girl can wake up? I see she's dressed richly—she probably isn't of ordinary birth!"

Inside the house, at this moment a medium-built old man came out, carrying a pole of tofu covered with gauze; though he looked over fifty, with dark, sallow skin, beneath it lay a vigorous bearing.

He then said.

"Old woman, I don't know either—we can't afford a doctor, so whether she lives depends on her fortune; if she's blessed, she'll live; if not, we can do nothing but give her a straw mat, which we consider our duty to her as an old couple!"

Saying this, he shouldered two baskets and went out the door.

"It seems we have still encountered a kind-hearted person!"

Zhang Jian thought darkly in his heart; he held up his oil-paper umbrella and slowly stepped into the courtyard, where countless raindrops falling from the sky suddenly halted midair as he passed; the old woman washing soybeans by the well on one side of the courtyard, her back to Zhang Jian, likewise seemed to freeze in her motion; Zhang Jian stepped forward toward the main hall.

Proper and bright, at this moment the small courtyard divided into left and right, clearly indicating that the owners of this household were far more than just the old couple.

Zhang Jian saw two cramped little rooms and guessed that this couple might have two children, and very likely they were boys.

However, they might have gone to join the army, or to serve corvée labor, and were not at home.

And in the inner rooms there were still two small chambers, their windows facing the courtyard, sunlight streaming straight in; at this moment Zhang Jian saw a girl lying on the kang bed, her figure slender, at present dressed in coarse hemp cloth, appearing only fairly pretty, but Zhang Jian could tell at a glance that this girl had used a special magical artifact to conceal her stunning appearance within.

She had remained in a coma all this time.

Zhang Jian needed no means to sense the dense immortal light aura hidden deep in the brow of this female immortal; a strand of immortal light was entangling her primordial spirit, and her Hundred Flowers primordial spirit ceaselessly resisted, attempting to refine it.

But that strand of immortal light seemed left by a celestial immortal, possessing an intense, scarcely suppressible fiery power.

It was filled with a dense fiery poison.

For Zhang Jian, extracting this fiery poison would not be difficult, but he did not prepare to do so.

This fierce divine light of Bing fire, if properly utilized, could not but temper the Hundred Flowers Fairy's reincarnated form, aiding her early attainment of the Dao; Zhang Jian naturally would not need to guard her here for long.

In the moment of thought, Zhang Jian extended a finger; in an instant his fingertip touched the female cultivator's brow, arousing part of the Hundred Flowers Fairy's primordial spirit power.

A dense stream of golden immortal light flowed from her entire body, gradually merging into the primordial spirit of her present-life cultivation, instantly blocking the crimson-red flames raging around her primordial spirit.

The power of a primordial-spirit true monarch ceaselessly expanded, and the source of the immortal Dao laws condensed within her body also increased.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian chose to withdraw his hand.

In her slumber the girl seemed to sense something; she strained to open a slit of her eyes, vaguely able to see a youthful immortal of unique extraordinary bearing standing before the bed; a moment later she again fell into coma.

Zhang Jian operated the River Chart Immortal Law, calculated with his fingers, and after sensing that he might need to stay in this small town for a period of time.

A thought moved him, yet he walked out of this small courtyard.

At the instant his figure departed, the flow of time within the small courtyard instantly returned to normal.

After Zhang Jian left the small courtyard, he went to the town's pawnshop, preparing to buy a small courtyard nearby so he could closely attend to her.

In the city, the pawnshops that buy, sell, and rent houses are only the official pawnshops.

The official pawnshop is used for issuing official uniform pawn tallies; such pawnshops are basically local bullies, with deep backgrounds in the government office.

Zhang Jian did not use supernatural means; he merely exchanged some gold and silver in the city.

Having gold and silver—this purchasing power is better than supernatural means; soon he bought a deserted small courtyard around the West Gate ward.

His original owner was a local ruffian, the type who eats his fill while the whole family does not starve.

Having recently gotten into trouble, he is now in urgent need of money in the county jail, so he is willing to sell off the family estate as a stake.

After securing the land deed, Zhang Jian, following local custom, invited the buyer and seller, the intermediary, and the four neighbors to "share a meal"—that is, to go to a wine shop and eat together, so everyone becomes acquainted.

As the saying goes, distant relatives are not as good as near neighbors—this is the reason.

As for the original homeowner, naturally unable to come while detained in the county jail, Zhang Jian invited an official from the county office to attend.

In consideration of his "purchasing power," the county office sent an official of relatively senior rank, which added considerable color to this small feast.

Of course, Zhang Jian also became acquainted with that old couple.

In the old couple, the old man surnamed Wang, called Wang Xiu; the old lady was called Wang Dainiang by the neighbors, now most neighbors directly call her Wang Dainiang, Wang clan, Wang family aunt!

This old couple is quite famous in the West Gate ward, for their household has a sweet-water well, and the tofu ground from it is somewhat more tender and smooth than that of ordinary tofu shops.

In the small courtyard, Zhang Jian looked at the leaky wooden house before him and immediately shook his head inwardly.

This wooden house, long neglected, has plenty of places where wind and rain leak through.

Wooden houses have this drawback—they need annual repairs, otherwise it becomes rather troublesome.

Yet at this moment many neighbors actively came to the door, willing to help repair the wooden house free of charge, and even to rebuild the earthen walls.

Zhang Jian was not polite about it.

In such a situation, that would naturally be too distant.

Possessing purchasing power, while many neighbors helped repair the walls, he directly went to the market, sought out hunters, and ordered a wild boar; while repairing the house, he slaughtered the pig to entertain the neighbors.

Rarely encountering a neighbor as generous as Zhang Jian, seeing the helpers come day after day, their numbers grew ever more.

Many hands make light work.

In less than a day or two, the wooden house was already repaired, and additionally some newly acquired wooden furnishings were added.

Leaving the tidied-up small courtyard, Zhang Jian's gaze swept over, and a hint of sigh rose in his eyes.

He still felt somewhat bewildered.

Moreover, he felt as if something was missing!

After a moment, Zhang Jian silently pondered. Lan

"A mistress is missing!"

Zhang Jian couldn't help but recall the time Qi Yuhua spent by his side, when the household was always kept spotless and orderly.

He couldn't help but a hint of a smile appear at the corner of his mouth.

"Besides, I also need to prepare some side work; I can't always take silver from outside without seeing the main business..."

Zhang Jian pondered briefly, and soon he made a decision.

He prepared to return to his old trade, selling calligraphy and paintings.

This profession is refined, not vulgar, and carries status. Lan

Zhang Jian decided to act, and the next day he hung up banners at the gate, offering letter-writing services and selling calligraphy and paintings.

The two banners near Ximen Fang were quite novel, drawing attention from many neighbors.

In this era, scholars always attracted more attention.

Because the skills they mastered are mostly related to the dynasty's superstructure, they are the most basic stepping stone to enter the superstructure.

Qingyu City belongs to a dynasty called Great Chen.

Although Great Chen claims to value both civil and military affairs equally, civil officials often have opportunities to get close to the emperor, so their weight is still greater.

At this time, the Hundred Flowers Fairy in Old Wang's house also woke up. Lan

Zhang Jian had already seen her once.

Unknowing what consideration prompted her, the Hundred Flowers Fairy stayed on, and from the moment she began working the fields, she acknowledged Old Wang's wife as her foster mother, helped her sell tofu, and became the Tofu Shi.

The two families lived close, so Zhang Jian often went to the Wang household to buy tofu pudding and tofu, and after a while became quite familiar.

Having a lovely daughter, just eighteen years old, naturally attracted the attention of well-meaning people in the city, and soon the Wang household's threshold was trampled by official and private matchmakers, making the inside and outside of the courtyard bustling with activity.

In the Zhang household courtyard, Zhang Jian gazed at the lively scene in the Wang household courtyard, and for a moment felt somewhat amused.

Yet in his gaze, the Hundred Flowers Fairy handled everything with ease.

First, she declared her attitude: to serve her parents for two years, to bring joy to their knees, to fulfill filial duty and silence everyone's mouths. Lan

But the two years flew by swiftly, and this time, when she stepped onto the Wang household threshold again, it was even more crowded.

Although Wang Qiong Yun did not reveal her true appearance, her demeanor was outstanding, and combined with her long-term assistance in managing the Wang household affairs, this cleverness and virtue were noticed by the people of Ximen Fang and many thoughtful individuals in the city, making many seekers of a good match.

The Wang couple in the front courtyard became busy again, as Wang Qiong Yun grew older, they also felt some worry, and thus also harbored the intention to find a suitable husband for this hard-won daughter.

In the rear courtyard, at this moment Wang Qiong Yun suddenly glanced toward outside Qingyu City, and a hint of worry appeared in her eyes.

"Already tracked here so soon?"

Standing in her boudoir, her face was unusually solemn.

The person she offended was no ordinary one, and she still held in her hand a treasure left by ancient immortals and gods; the other side would certainly not let it go easily. Lan

She did not believe she could slip past unnoticed by gods and ghosts.

Based on her understanding of the other party.

To be safe, the other party would probably directly control the entire city's populace, screening them one by one, or even directly use thunderous means to refine the entire city's populace, thus finding her whereabouts; there would be no hiding in the crowd, impossible to find.

Having lived long, they had already become demons, more vicious than anything.

Wang Qiong Yun's eyes held a hint of sternness; she glanced at the busy Wang couple in the front courtyard, and no matter what, she could not let that person destroy everything here.

Outside Qingyu City, at this moment a majestic figure descended from the heavens.

He bore a huge sword on his back, his eyes glowed with fierce killing intent, and immortal light radiated from his body, towering and majestic, as if casually leaking a trace could obliterate the city before him. Lan

He held a compass in his hand, his eyes fixed tightly on the city before him, and a hint of intense smile appeared in his eyes.

"Demoness, you cannot escape!"

As he slowly drew the huge sword from his back, his body full of killing intent about to erupt, suddenly this true immortal fell into confusion for no reason.

At this moment he furrowed his brow and landed in Qingyu City, his mind filled entirely with lake paste.

He raised the long sword in his hand, but suddenly did not know why he drew the side sword from his back, nor did he know which direction to swing it!

"Who am I? Why did I come here? Where is this place?"

He seemed as if he had suddenly forgotten everything, stumbling and staggering as he flew away from the void. Lan

Inside the Wang household courtyard.

Wang Qiong Yun sensed the departure of that terrifying aura, and a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.

"Did I guess wrong? Is this immortal just passing by?"

Wang Qiong Yun silently pondered, and at that moment also let go of her doubts.

At this time she stepped out of her boudoir, ignoring the gazes of many matchmakers, smiled and greeted them, then began busying herself with her tasks.

Her poised and generous demeanor even earned praise from many matchmakers.

At this moment at the gate of the Wang household courtyard, Zhang Jian faintly smiled, and at this time also arrived at the courtyard gate, knocking on the Wang household door. Lan

His face bore a smile, and that true immortal outside the city was naturally someone he had casually dispatched.

The door was opened, and Wang Qiong Yun had already seen Zhang Jian outside; her delicate face was full of smiles, and at the same time she handed him a clay pot.

"Zhang Elder Brother, this is the tofu pudding the foster mother asked me to bring over!"

"Thank you, Qiong Yun Younger Sister!"

Zhang Jian glanced at the clay pot, noticing extra tofu pudding inside, and then said.

"Qiong Yun Younger Sister is truly clever and skillful; I don't know which young man from which family has such fortune..."

Hearing this, Wang Qiong Yun gave Zhang Jian an annoyed glance, her heart unchanged, but her face squeezed out a hint of bashful smile. Lan

In the courtyard, Wang Danniang saw this scene and her heart stirred. She lifted her head, and just then, Wang Laotou opposite also turned his gaze toward her. The elderly couple exchanged a glance and smiled at once, understanding each other without words.

Later that evening, the old couple pulled Wang Qianyun forward to ask which family in town she had taken a liking to.

Wang Qianyun could not this time put them off with filial duty, so she could only evade by saying she had not yet taken a liking to anyone.

At that moment, Wang Danniang sat by the pine-resin oil lamp mending shoe soles, when she suddenly set down her needle and thread and spoke.

"How about the Zhang son next door?"

"Him?"

Hearing this, Wang Qianyun was slightly startled, but saw Wang Laotou opposite also smile and say.

"Qianyun, I think the young Zhang lad next door is quite good. Though he is a scholar, he is loyal, honest, and diligent — unlike those bookish fools!

The hardest part is conducting oneself without arrogance or servility. Last time, Father saw several officials trying to make trouble for him after he earned some money, but he easily rebuked them. He will surely be able to protect you and keep you safe for life!"

"But..."

Wang Qianyun had still wanted to refuse, but Wang Laotou laughed and said.

"Child, we old folks know your filial heart, but we are old now and may not be useful for much longer, or perhaps we'll soon be unable to help you. We only wish you could have a good home!"

The old couple suddenly fell silent, gazing at Wang Qianyun with some hope in their expressions, yet their faces bore hidden traces of hardship and sorrow.

Not long ago, they received news that the two Wang men serving in the army had gone missing on the front lines.

In this era, to go missing is nearly equivalent to dying in battle.

Now, all they can hope for is this adopted daughter they have taken in.

Upon hearing this, Wang Qianyun was struck speechless. Seeing her silence, the old couple took it as her tacit agreement, rejoiced greatly, and immediately prepared to have the matchmaker sound out Zhang Jian's intentions.

Wang Qianyun sighed softly with her lovely eyes — she was not silently agreeing, merely unwilling to upset them.

She planned to wait until the wedding day, then summon a puppet to go through the motions.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the next day.

After the matchmaker arrived, Zhang Jian appeared rather 'embarrassed', showing admiration for the neighbor's girl on one hand, while subtly expressing his own nervousness and shame over his unachieved ambitions, fearing he could not provide her a better life.

The matchmaker, pleased with Zhang Jian's attitude, naturally became delighted and immediately declared her willingness to act as intermediary.

The two 'acting emperors' put their efforts together, and soon the matter was settled.

That day, in Ximen Fang, there was the sound of drums and music, red hung and green draped, and neighbors from all around gathered at the Zhang household.

The small courtyard was already filled with tables set for a flowing banquet.

Not only neighbors, but also members of the Wang clan, elders, and even the county magistrate himself came in person, adding much glory to the wedding feast.

In the inner hall, the Wang couple sat in the place of honor, beaming with joy, unable to stop smiling. After receiving the tea offered by the newlyweds, they immediately escorted the pair into the bridal chamber in the rear hall.