Chapter 155: Strange Person in the Alley

Having already made this decision, tracing back......

Something's off.

Before I didn't notice, but now focusing my gaze and examining everything carefully, I only then realized that this Zhoufu seems off everywhere.

Du Shanü saw a small stone incense burner set up at the mouth of a nearby alley; the burner was not tall, about ankle-high, with several sticks of incense inserted, their flames flickering uncertainly in the dusk.

At first Du Shanü thought it was coincidental, but as she walked forward, every few dozen steps, wherever there was an alley entrance, a fork in the road, or even a gap between two households, such a small incense burner was set up.

Some were crude, just clay basins; others were elaborate, cast in bronze as lion-shaped beasts, with incense curling out from the animals' mouths.

The incense varied in thickness; some had just been lit, others had burned down to nothing but a stub of gray-white ash.

When I first entered the city, it wasn't dark yet and the streets were bustling, so not seeing these was natural.

But now, as dusk faded and night closed in, these scattered points of fire rose from the corners, like pairs of motionless eyes on the ground.

Moreover, the strangeness was far more than just the incense burners.

Occasionally a passerby walked by them at an unhurried pace, revealing yellow paper for incense and candles sticking out of the paper bag they carried.

A woman in a blue cloth shirt overtook Du Shanü on her left, turned her head, and said to her companion behind her:

"Tomorrow at the third watch of the Mao hour, don't forget the incense-offering ceremony at Ciyun Temple. Last time I overheard the Celestial Master lecturing from afar, saying that this month clashes with Mars, so burning an extra box of sandalwood incense can ward off disaster."

Her companion was a young woman with a softer voice, from whom Du Shanü caught fragments like: "My family donated six taels," "The Wang family donated twelve taels, and the Celestial Master even personally gave a talisman," and so on.

Those two walked away, and then several men came from the opposite direction, one of whom shouted loudly:

""For this Dharma assembly I've actually poured half a year's savings into it; the Celestial Master said, 'Sincerity brings efficacy— the more you donate, the more prosperous your fortune will be next year.'""

Another sighed:

""I'd like to donate more, but we really don't have that much silver. Yet not donating isn't an option—last time I fell short, the authorities sealed my shop, and it stayed closed for a full half‑month.""

As they spoke, several people brushed past Du Shanü, stirring a gust of cloth.

Du Shanü glanced sideways; the expressions of those few were not those of devout believers, but rather like debt‑ridden merchants being pressed by creditors—mixed with firm faith and reluctance.

She turned her head, lost in thought, and smiled at Chinu:

""During the day this Zhoufu bustles with prosperity—silks, satins, delicacies and feasts everywhere, the very picture of mortal life.""

""But once night falls, incense, the Celestial Master, and charitable donations surge in like a tide.""

Although sincerity appears sincere, it always makes one suspect something hidden beneath—like the wavering flames in those incense burners, flickering on and off, which after a while seem somewhat sinister.

Chinu had remained silent all the way, seemingly pondering as well; hearing this, he weighed his words and said:

"Actually, it's not really surprising."

"Previously, Afang and I came to this Zhoufu once over the grain‑tax matter; back then a local official had died, yet the prefect didn't launch a major crackdown, and the taxes were reduced without needing the imperial court's approval......"

"That's why he then suspected that the original tax levied by the court might not have been so high—it was merely the prefect who unilaterally added an extra stone."

"As for why he added a full stone, he was in a hurry over some trifle and never looked into it."

"I had thought it was merely ordinary decadence and licentiousness, but now it seems there may be something else out of the ordinary......"

"The prefect is infatuated with the Daoist mysteries."

"This prefect has serious problems."

The two almost spoke in unison, each grasping what the other was thinking.

Du Shanü had in fact long heard rumors about this prefect—his fondness for male beauty, his obsession with Daoist arts, and so on.

That said, throughout history many scholars have favored Huang‑Lao and obscure Daoist studies, making friends with fangshi and numbers practicing alchemy and breath cultivation.

Take Chen Weifang, for example: at his age he remains unmarried, yet he has already received two of the three precepts; though not formally ordained, he has continually maintained a pure‑cultivation body, often sitting in tranquil meditation to nurture his spirit.

Earlier, several of us had shared lodgings in the county office, and Du Shanü had happened to bump into him two or three times, even wondering whether his asceticism was the last straw to lessen the guilt of that poisonous scholar in his heart......

But the atmosphere in this Zhoufu, and that unseen prefect, is clearly nothing like Chen Weifang!

Put nicely, it's seeking immortals and asking about medicines; put harshly, it's indulging in the ways of sorcery!

What is above is mirrored below.

In the whole city, everyone is scheming for money on one hand while loudly proclaiming piety on the other—how could it not be split, strange, and terrifying???

Du Shanü couldn't hold back at the moment and muttered under her breath:

"They won't arrest this wicked prefect, yet they send an Imperial Envoy to catch me!"

When she truly flew into a rage, grabbing that bunch of wine‑bags‑and‑rice‑sacks from the court would be one thrust, two holes; two thrusts, four holes......

Wait, that line sounds oddly familiar.

Du Shanü instinctively glanced at Chinu beside her; seeing his bewitching, moon‑like face, the fire in her heart faded by half:

"Good slave, do you know who that Celestial Master they keep mentioning is?"

The two are truly of one heart and one body, able to sleep side by side, so their minds naturally dwell together.

Chinu needed only a breath before replying:

"I've been wondering about that too, but these few visits to the Zhoufu have been rushed—I haven't had a chance to inquire."

Du Shanü, on the contrary, comforted him:

"Don't be anxious. After all, the Imperial Envoy from the capital will need some time to get here, and we'll have to stay a few days—there's plenty of time."

Chinu nodded composedly, a few traces of thought appearing on his face.

Du Shanü had thought he was about to say something, but Chinu instead blurted out a shocking remark:

"At least seven each day, oh."

The sky had darkened, the setting sun sinking below the horizon.

Du Shanü heard those words and almost tripped, her left foot catching her right.

"...... Fine."

"No ideas left."

She really had no ideas left.

Chinu's energy far exceeds what ordinary people imagine; despite having been busy all day yesterday and staying up all night without rest, he can still rise early today to attend to public affairs, after finishing his duties accompany her to Zhoufu, the two leisurely walk three streets, and he doesn't even feel tired, still having the mind to plan for the future......

Perhaps Du Shanü's expression was too obvious; Chinu's eyes corners slightly lifted, flashing a hint of allure, and he hummed softly:

You're not bad either.

Chinu was already close by, and this hum brushed against Du Shanü's temples......

Although some things were not originally like this, they are now.

The two walked hand in hand down a somewhat sneaky street; Du Shanü was made to feel an intense itch in her heart by Chinu's breath, and just as she was looking for a place to rest, turning a corner she saw several people gathered at the mouth of a narrow alley.

At the alley entrance hung an oil-paper lantern, casting a dim yellow light that revealed a small table, behind which sat a young man.

He had a round, plump baby face, his brows and eyes naturally bearing a three-part smile; he wore a half-worn blue-gray Daoist robe, without a belt, hanging loosely on him, yet it was clean.

Before him lay several sheets of yellow paper, an inkstone, and a worn brush.

At this moment he was holding a girl's hand.

The girl was about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a peach-red vest, fair-skinned, head lowered, her ears tinged red.

Beside her was another girl of similar age, standing to the side covering her mouth and giggling.

The baby-faced man half-lidded his eyes, his thumb slowly tracing the girl's palm, muttering under his breath:

"No need to be shy, miss, asking about marriage prospects is nothing unusual......"

"It's done, it's done, your fate is set; the one you will marry in the future happens to be forty-seven this year."

The girl suddenly lifted her head, the flush on her face draining completely, she snatched back her hand, and her voice rose:

"Forty-seven? What nonsense are you spouting!"

Her companion also stopped laughing, glaring at the Daoist.

The girl, her chest heaving with anger, pointed at the baby-faced man and said:

"My family is well-off; my parents have only me as their daughter, and they desperately want to find me a good husband. I would only marry a handsome young man—how could I choose an old man? What kind of fate are you calculating? Clearly you're cursing me!"

The baby-faced man kept his smiling, half-lidded eyes, neither dodging nor arguing, simply withdrawing his hand into his sleeve and tilting his head to look at her.

The girl grew angrier with each word, stepping forward, and her companion also rolled up his sleeves, adopting a posture as if to smash the stall.

Two other onlookers at the alley entrance stepped back, but the baby-faced man remained unmoving, the smile on his face as if carved in, gentle yet begging to be punched.

The girl ultimately did not strike, spat fiercely, then pulled her companion away and turned to leave; after walking several steps she turned back and cursed, "Jianghu charlatan!"

Their footsteps gradually faded, and the alley entrance returned to quiet.

The baby-faced man lowered his gaze to the brush on the table, askew from a sleeve, straightened it with his hand, then lifted his head again.

As he lifted his head, his eyes met those of Du Shanü and Chinu.

He had been focused on dealing with that girl earlier and hadn't noticed the two spectators still standing at the alley mouth.

Now seeing Du Shanü's face clearly, the baby-faced man was suddenly startled; his ever-present smile faltered for a moment, as if he had recognized something, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

However, that emotion lasted only an instant; he soon returned to normal, even appearing more spirited than before.

He took a few steps around the small table, approached Du Shanü, bowed slightly, and a clear laugh rolled from his throat:

"Miss Elder Sister, would you like to have your fortune told? No charge if it's inaccurate."

?? The ruler-minister group actually fell into a vicious circle; Chinu when outside can eat his fill heartily, Shasha when returning home just wants to spend more time with Yu Baobao, but when she goes to be with Yu Baobao, Chinu becomes jealous again and outside he insists on entangling......

? Each of these two couples has their own quirks, haha (*^▽^*)