Chapter 638: Possible

This couldn't really be called a city, because once you passed through the checkpoint, you'd find that the other three sides had no walls.

Inside were fields and paths between them — it looked exactly like a farming village.

More like a country town, really.

The road was a dirt road, with farmland on both sides, and houses a little farther off.

The houses had no pattern either — one here, one there — but as you drew closer, you'd notice the widest road had been tamped down very smooth, unlike the dirt road just past the checkpoint, where a glance would catch three or five potholes.

Once on the main road, there were more people about.

Signs hung from the buildings — either Chinese characters or symbols.

The most common were "食" and "當"; the symbols were easy to read at a glance too — a bowl meant a restaurant, a wine pot meant a tavern…

The buildings here were mostly wooden, and even the earthen ones were a very different color from those of the Central Plains, with a strongly foreign look.

What struck them as most different, though, was that everyone they saw after entering here wore wooden clogs on their feet.

Whether men or women, the clack-clack of geta drifted to their ears from every direction.

Only now did the group get the feeling: "Oh, we've left the country."

Although they'd been in the land of the Wa for some time now, the vast majority of people they'd seen were barefoot or wearing straw sandals.

She hadn't thought much of it before, but now that it struck her all at once, Pan Yun realized that only people like Yi Jianren wore wooden clogs, while among the common folk she'd seen at Kochi County's wharf and at Nosaka Port, sixty percent were barefoot, thirty-nine percent wore straw sandals, and the remaining one-tenth — people like the Benshan family and the local gentry — were the ones who shuffled along in clacketing geta…

Pan Yun's gaze dropped to the feet of the people here, then traveled slowly upward.

She noticed that the people here wore longer trousers and skirts, and long sleeves too — enough to wrap the body up completely.

The colors of the clothing were also brighter than in the places they'd been before; you could see several different hues.

Pan Yun drew her conclusion: "The people here are very well-off. They live good lives."

Yi Jianren hurried over, bowed, and said: "Honored guest, I've found an inn. Please follow me."

Wang Cong, who had just learned from Yi Jianren the trick of finding lodging here, couldn't help tugging at Tao Yanbai and muttering: "This isn't an ordinary inn…"

Tao Yanbai: "Then what kind of inn is it?"

"An inn with no sign marking it as an inn. To me it looks more like renting a house," Wang Cong said. "No sign, no one calling out to you warmly — turns out you can find a place to stay that way too…"

According to Yi Jianren, most of the inns here were like that.

Because so many people came here to offer incense and pray for blessings, the local folk would set aside part of their own homes, or simply build a new house, specifically to rent out to those pilgrims.

The local powerful clans and warrior families were heavily involved, so they hung no signs, paid no taxes, and no one came to check on them.

Yi Jianren knew Pan Yun was not short of money, and watching her food and clothing along the way, he felt she was richer and more noble than even the highest-born young lady he had ever seen, so he picked the best one he could find.

The best was a large courtyard, with buildings on all four sides.

The courtyard also came with carriages and horses, servants, and a kitchen with a cook.

Those staying in the courtyard could command the servants at will, telling them to do anything; during the stay, they all obeyed the guest's orders.

All costs were included in the room fee.

The kitchen could also be used freely, but if no ingredients were provided and the kitchen's cook had to purchase and prepare them, an additional charge for the food was required.

Pan Yun glanced at the menu and the prices, then casually handed it back to Yi Jianren, sat cross-legged on the main seat, and said: "Send the cook and the servants away. I don't want any strangers left in this courtyard."

Yi Jianren bowed and accepted the order.

Pan Yun called over the three leaders among the captives. The old man was called Fujikichi; he had no surname, was forty-eight this year, short and somewhat stooped, and represented the middle-aged and old men among the captives.

The woman was called Chiyo; she was in the prime of life, twenty-one years old, and represented the women among the captives.

The twelve-year-old child was called Daiku Kuzo, also without a surname — Daiku was his father's trade, a carpenter; Kuzo was his actual name.

Of the sixty-nine captives, only five had surnames.

They didn't look very clever, so Pan Yun hadn't thought much of them.

Pan Yun called the three over, divided up the tasks for them — whoever was to tidy the courtyard should tidy the courtyard, whoever was to cook should cook, whoever was to go out and gather information should go out and gather information…

All three were excited; besides pushing the wheelbarrow, they could finally do other things, which meant their master trusted them more.

As the three bowed and withdrew, they happened to hear Pan Yun praising Yi Jianren: "You've done very well. I like this courtyard very much. Did you find out the information I asked you to look into?"

The three lifted their heads slightly; Chiyo looked at Yi Jianren with envy, while Fujikichi and Kuzo shot him a resentful glance.

These tasks — clearly they could have done them too, and done them better — yet he'd snatched them all away.

Yi Jianren lowered his head and said respectfully: "It's all within my duty. As long as the honored guest is satisfied."

"The matter I told you to inquire about — did you find anything out?"

Yi Jianren: "I didn't hear of any Han people or Shinto practitioners coming here…"

Pan Yun's brow furrowed slightly.

Yi Jianren paused, then said: "But I heard that two very skilled divine physicians came to treat Mao Li Nobuyuki's illness, and were welcomed into Ichibata Temple to stay."

Pan Yun sat up slightly: "Divine physicians?"

Yi Jianren: "Yes. The rumor is that they're even more skilled than Master Hōkai."

Pan Yun grew interested: "And who is Mao Li Nobuyuki? What illness does he have?"

Mao Li Nobuyuki was the head of the local powerful Mao Li clan; he had just turned thirty-eight this year, but he was ill — gravely ill.

For the past two years he had been searching for famous physicians to cure him, but none could be found who could treat his ailment.

Master Hōkai of Ichibata Temple was renowned for his medical skill, so a year ago Mao Li Nobuyuki had moved here to stay; reportedly, when he arrived he was nearly dead, and it was Master Hōkai who saved his life.

But Hōkai couldn't cure him either — only kept him alive for the time being.

"The two divine physicians who came this time — I haven't yet been able to find out their names or backgrounds. People only say they're very skilled. As soon as they arrived, Ichibata Temple and the Mao Li clan treated them as honored guests. Today, to curry favor with the two of them, the Mao Li clan even sent people down the mountain to purchase fine cloth, wanting to make clothes for them."

"Both divine physicians are men?"

"No. From what the cloth shop learned, it should be one man and one woman."

Pan Yun suspected even more strongly that it was her Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister.

Pan Yun waved Yi Jianren off and glanced outside.

Her gaze crossed layer upon layer of trees and mountains, landing on the vermilion eave corner in the darkness; she decided to go see it tonight.

The slaves moved swiftly, soon preparing the meals for their masters.

Pan Yun called everyone over to eat, then dismissed them to attend to their own affairs: "There is a well in the courtyard; if possible, boil hot water to wash your bodies—it will help prevent plague."

And make sure they eat their fill.

On food, Pan Yun was always generous, providing ample rations along the way.

Perhaps because they ate their fill, despite the constant fear and several battles along the journey, the slaves had not fallen ill a single time—they were healthier than ever.

Chen Liutao watched the slaves depart, then turned to ask Pan Yun seated above: "Master Pan, are you certain you wish to take them as slaves?" (End of chapter)