Chapter 539: Temporarily Stay

Yu Lin finished looking at the Nine Tripod Cauldrons.

The nine massive cauldrons were quietly displayed deep within the Zhou Royal Family's Grand Ancestral Hall, and at a glance one could tell they were genuine.

Indeed, they were the set forged by Da Yu.

Only at this time the Dragon Lords could not yet, like Lao Jun and the Jade Emperor, see the future or the past from the present and thus recognize Yu Lin,

At this moment none of the Dragon Lords were with him.

Those few fellows had vanished as soon as they entered this era, and no one knew where they had gone to have fun.

Therefore they never got the chance to meet the "other self."

Hmm, perhaps they had met before? It doesn't matter.

Yu Lin left the Zhou Royal Family and kept moving forward.

After entering Chu Di, the atmosphere of witch‑wind began to thicken again.

Ku County, Li Township, Qu Ren Li.

The outline of the village appeared in his view.

Yu Lin did not, as before, stand at a distance and observe covertly.

He stepped forward directly, heading into the village.

The earthen road beneath his feet was damp and squelchy.

It seemed a light rain had fallen last night, leaving the ground trampled and crumbling; a single step sent mud water up past his ankle.

The villagers who came out to walk were mostly bare‑legged, wearing only short hemp shorts, and some even went without trousers.

It wasn't that they didn't wear them; they dared not.

The only pair they kept for formal occasions stayed at home and could not be soiled in the mud.

They also wore no shoes.

Barefoot, they stepped in the icy mud, one foot deeper than the other as they walked.

Yu Lin walked on this mud road.

His attire—unremarkable in later ages—stood out as especially distinctive here and now.

The fabric of his clothes, the cut, and the spotless, mud‑free appearance clashed with everything around him.

Not to mention that where he stepped, the mud seemed to part automatically, leaving not a speck on his shoes.

The villagers halted, looked up at him.

Their gazes held curiosity, wariness, awe, and bewilderment.

Which family's son is he?

Or which nation's lord?

Or perhaps which royal clan is on tour?

What brings him to this rundown place?

No one dared to approach and speak.

They only watched from afar, muttering softly, seeing him draw nearer step by step.

Until—

In front of a house, an elder stepped out.

His clothing was far neater than the others', his hair neatly combed; though also barefoot, the mud on his feet was clearly fresh.

He stood at the doorway, watching Yu Lin draw nearer, squinting, then stepped forward to greet him.

As Yu Lin passed, he halted, turned sideways and bowed.

The movement was simple, yet the etiquette was complete, neither servile nor arrogant.

"I am the village magistrate of Qu Ren Li, Chen Ren," he said, his voice aged yet clear, "Pleased to meet you."

He lifted his head, looking at Yu Lin.

"May I ask what gentleman comes from where, and what important business you have here?"

Yu Lin halted, looking at the elder.

His hair was silver‑white, his face weathered, yet his eyes remained fairly clear.

His garments bore a few patches, but they were sewn neatly.

He gave a slight smile and returned the bow.

"So you are Magistrate Chen."

"I am Yu Lin."

Chen Ren was startled for a moment.

That name… he had never heard before.

Yu Lin continued, "Passing through this place, I feel…"

He looked up at the surroundings, his gaze passing over the low thatched huts, the muddy road, and the rolling hills in the distance:

"This place is fine, its fortunes are extraordinary, and it will surely produce great figures in the future."

Chen Ren's eyes widened slightly.

"So," Yu Lin withdrew his gaze, looking at him, "I wish to stay here temporarily."

"May I?"

Listening to Yu Lin's words, Chen Ren was startled in his heart.

What does it mean that this place's fortunes are extraordinary and will produce great figures?

He… could it be that he practices divination and feng‑shui?

Chen Ren had lived most of his life and had seen much of the world.

He knew that those who could read Qi, practice geomancy, and divine were mostly seated guests of the Royal Palace aristocracy, and ordinary people would never see them in a lifetime.

And the one before him…

He surveyed Yu Lin from head to toe, and the more he looked, the more extraordinary he seemed.

That bearing, that unhurried demeanor, that impeccably clean clothing that hadn't been touched by a speck of mud—

If he could stay in Qu Ren Li…

It might not be a bad thing at all!

Chen Ren made a swift decision, nodded, and said:

"There's no reason it can't be!"

He paused, then added:

"We only need to ask the honored guest to return after a while, so that we can properly prepare a dwelling for the honored guest."

Yu Lin waved his hand.

"No need to trouble you; I have my own way."

Chen Ren was startled.

"Your own way? What does that mean?"

Then he saw.

Yu Lin turned around and strode forward.

He walked slowly, each step on the muddy earth road, yet not a single drop of mud clung to him.

Reaching a clearing, he halted.

He extended his hand and pointed ahead.

Chen Ren's eyes widened.

The soil moved.

The once soggy, trampled yellow earth, as if alive, began to churn on its own.

They gathered from all directions, piled, compacted, and in the blink of an eye erected a low earthen foundation.

Then—

The trees moved.

A few old trees nearby had their trunks break and fly toward the clearing.

Their bark peeled, trunks disintegrated, planks automatically assembled, beam after beam rose, and walls sprang up.

In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

A Wooden House materialized there out of thin air.

Not large nor luxurious, just an ordinary Wooden House—but its appearance was anything but ordinary!

Chen Ren opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long moment.

Behind him, the onlooking villagers were even more stunned; some went weak in the knees, fell to kneel, forehead to the ground, shouting:

"Divine spirits protect us! Divine spirits protect us!"

"It's an immortal!"

"A heavenly deity has descended!"

Exclamations rose and fell, and more and more people knelt.

In the mud, a black mass of kneeling figures spread, some still trembling.

Chen Ren did not kneel.

He stood where he was, watching the Wooden House, watching the soil still churning, watching the planks that had just been soaring mid‑air—

His insight was indeed greater than that of ordinary villagers.

"Witchcraft!"

He blurted it out.

He snapped his head toward Yu Lin, and a strange gleam flashed in his clouded old eyes.

"Is the honored guest a shaman?!"

Yu Lin turned, looked at him, then at the villagers kneeling on the ground, and gave a slight nod.

"More or less."

He paused.

"In any case, I will now trouble you all."

Chen Ren stared at him blankly, unable to speak for a long moment.

A shaman—someone who can communicate with divine spirits, convey divine will in rituals, and is honored by the Chu State Royal Family.

Such a person, to live in Qu Ren Li?

To reside in this remote, impoverished corner under his jurisdiction?

Chen Ren took a deep breath, striving to keep his voice steady:

"Honored guest, you speak too highly…" he swallowed, "Having you temporarily stay here is a blessing for Qu Ren Li, a blessing for us!"

As he said so, he bowed deeply and performed a profound bow.

Behind him, the kneeling villagers also bowed their heads, mud splashing their faces, daring not to wipe it off.

Yu Lin watched the scene, saying little.

At this time, given their status, if a shaman truly appeared, they could easily be offered as sacrifices.

Their respect—or fear—is both natural.

They only left a sentence:

Alright, no need for that, get up.

Go attend to your livelihood earlier.