Chapter 674: Jerusalem: Four

Jerusalem: Four

Kaya kept his word.

Kaya settled Yu Lin at a familiar inn near the city gate to rest, then rode a white camel, accompanied by two guards, and set off at a leisurely pace.

Before leaving, Kaya told Yu Lin that he would be back in at most an hour, and told him to eat and drink as he wished, the expenses to be charged to Kaya's account.

Yu Lin was not at all modest.

He sat in a corner of the tavern, ordered a jug of watered-down wine, a few pieces of unleavened bread, some roasted meat, ate slowly while observing the various people coming and going.

The tavern was small; its earthen and stone walls were coated with a layer of white lime, and the floor was covered with dry straw.

In the corner, a few farmers hurrying with donkey carts were loudly arguing about something, while three Roman soldiers sat by the window, their rugged faces showing fatigue, lazily guzzling wine.

Yu Lin's gaze lingered on those soldiers for a moment.

Their short swords and spears at their waists.

It was his first time seeing Roman soldiers so up close.

They were a bit shorter than he imagined, but broad‑shouldered, with muscular arms and hands covered in calluses.

These men would guard Jesus's tomb............

Yu Lin lowered his head and continued chewing the bread as if nothing.

The bread was very dry, a bit harsh on the throat.

He lifted the Ceramic Cup, took a sip of wine; the flavor was light, with an indescribable sourness.

"Should someone with late‑stage stomach cancer be drinking?"

The thought rose, then he brushed it aside lightly.

"Forget it, we don't even know if he'll survive."

An hour passed, and Kaya returned right on time.

Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, the hem of his robe was dusted with soil, but his expression was satisfied.

He pulled a folded piece of Parchment from his chest, stamped with a red seal and some Hebrew markings.

"Here you go," Kaya handed over the Parchment, his tone carrying a hint of pride,

"With this, you are a legitimate merchant in Jerusalem."

"Tax collectors won't overcharge you, patrols won't question you arbitrarily—of course, if you break the law, this won't protect you."

Yu Lin took the Parchment, his fingertips brushing the rough texture.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me; you paid with Silk, a fair trade."

Kaya sat opposite him, waved to the barkeep for a drink, and said, "By the way, that.............. identity of yours, I used the name of a Seris Empire merchant, you are called Yu Lin, right? That's what I reported."

Yu Lin nodded.

"One more thing," Kaya said, taking a sip of wine and wiping his lips, "the Silk you mentioned—"

Yu Lin did not hesitate.

He pulled out two bolts of Silk and spread them on the tavern's rough wooden table.

The noisy clamor in the tavern suddenly fell silent for a moment.

The Roman soldier at the neighboring table froze his wine glass mid‑air, his eyes fixed on the fabric that shimmered like moonlight.

The farmers in the corner stopped arguing, craned their necks to look this way.

Even the tavern owner behind the counter, polishing a ceramic jar, halted his work, his gaze glued to the Silk as if nailed by something!

He couldn't help but speak out:

"Wow, what a beautiful cloth!"

Kaya was also startled for a moment, then gave a wry smile, shook his head, quickly gathered the Silk and stuffed it into the cloth bag he had brought.

"You...," he lowered his voice, "bringing it out in front of so many people, aren't you afraid of attracting thieves."

"With you here, what's there to fear? Is your prestige........ insufficient?" Yu Lin gave a faint smile.

Kaya gave him a glance, his eyes taking on a hint of inscrutable scrutiny.

"Hahaha, Yu Lin, you really are an interesting person."

He pulled a small leather pouch from his chest, untied it, and poured a small heap of Silver Coins onto the table with a rustle.

Roman Silver Coins, each weighing about three to four grams, of good quality.

"These sixty‑three, and tomorrow I will give you another thirty‑seven; these are extra."

Kaya nudged the pile of coins, "You point."

Yu Lin did not point.

He swept the Silver Coins, one handful at a time, into the pre‑prepared cloth bag, his movements calm and his gaze steady.

Kaya watched his decisive, tidy action, a slight smile curling his lips.

"Yu Lin, my friend, I live east of the city, at the foot of Olive Hill, not far from the Keximani Garden."

He took out a broken piece of pottery, scribbled a few lines on it with a charcoal stick, handed it to Yu Lin, and said, "This is the address; if you need anything in Jerusalem—money, goods, people, or just want to share a drink—feel free to come find me."

Yu Lin took the pottery shard, glanced at it, and slipped it into his chest.

"I do business by making long‑term friends."

Kaya stood, brushed the non‑existent dust from his robe, and said, "You came from so far, with no acquaintances in Jerusalem; meeting me is luck."

"I meeting you is also luck; luck is something to cherish."

When he said that, his gaze was sincere, not merely polite.

Yu Lin also stood and extended his hand.

The two hands clasped together.

"I'll go find you, Kaya's friend."

"I'll be waiting."

Kaya left the tavern with two guards; the cloth sack holding Silk was clutched close to him, and the other guard, deliberately or not, stood at his side, blocking onlookers' view.

Yu Lin watched their backs disappear beyond the tavern door, sat down again, slipped his hand into his coat and felt the piece of Parchment.

A legitimate identity.

He played his first card in Jerusalem.

Yu Lin did not linger in the tavern.

He stuffed the cloth bag of Silver Coins into a hidden pocket sewn inside his robe, then carefully wrapped the remaining ten bolts of Silk in coarse cloth, hugged it to his chest, and left the tavern.

The sunlight outside was a bit softer than noon, yet still scorching.

More pedestrians came and went at the city gate; women carried water jars on their heads, children ran barefoot in the dust, and a blind old beggar leaned against the wall base, muttering pleas to passersby.

Yu Lin avoided the crowd and walked east along the base of the city wall.

He needed to find a place to stay.

In his mind, the knowledge from the Myth Book included a rough map of Jerusalem; he knew which districts had cheap rent, which were unsafe, and which had many foreigners, making him less noticeable.

He finally chose a residential area in the southeast of the city, near the West Luo Ya Pond.

It wasn't poor, but it couldn't be called affluent either.

Houses were dense, alleys narrow, and laundry hung from second‑floor windows, resembling flags of various colors.

Yu Lin knocked on several doors, compared prices and terms, and finally chose a stone house of moderate size.

The house was small, with an outer room for storage and an inner room for living.

At the entrance was a small patch of crushed‑stone ground, serving as a simple courtyard.

The walls were built of stone, with some spots patched with mud; the roof was thatched with straw and compacted earth, appearing able to withstand several rains.

The landlord was a widow in her fifties, thin and silent, who appraised him repeatedly with sharp eyes and then asked him to present identification.

Yu Lin handed over the Parchment.

The old lady squinted, stared for a while, then nodded and quoted a price.

It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't expensive either.

Yu Lin didn't bargain and paid a month's rent outright.

The gesture made the old lady glance at him again; the scrutiny in her gaze lessened a bit, replaced by a subtle, barely noticeable satisfaction.

"If anything breaks, fix it yourself," the old lady said as she took the Silver Coin and left after a single remark.

Yu Lin stood in the empty house, looking around.

A wooden frame bed covered with dry straw and an old blanket with a fuzzed ball.

A low table, its three legs barely steady.

A clay jar, half‑filled with water, a thin layer of dust floating on the surface.

A broom made of reed handles, somewhat frayed.

Nothing else.

That's all.

Yu Lin stood in the center of the house, sunlight slanting in through the door, painting a bright spot on the earthen floor.

He thought of his own rental that cost eight hundred a month........

Forget it.

He shook them all from his mind, bent down, picked up the nearly broken broom, and began cleaning.

Dust danced in the sunlight like fine golden powder.

Yu Lin first swept the floors of both rooms clean, then wiped the low table and bed board with a damp cloth.

He poured out the water in the jar and replaced it with fresh water.

After finishing, he re‑wrapped the ten bolts of Silk in coarse cloth and tucked them into the corner of the inner room against the wall.

After a thought, he moved the low table to block the front.

He divided the Silver Coins into three portions.

A small part he kept on his person for daily expenses.

The bulk he stuffed into a clay jar, buried in the soil beneath the outer room's stove.

The remaining few he hid in the cracks of the bed board, covered with dry straw.

Eggs shouldn't be placed in the same basket.

He still didn't know how long he'd stay; what if it got stolen........

Having finished everything, Yu Lin let out a long sigh, sat on the threshold, and rested while watching the sun slowly set in the west.

The sunset dyed the horizon orange‑red, and the distant Temple's golden dome glittered like a flame in the afterglow.

A night breeze blew from the west, bringing a hint of coolness, dispersing the sweat and dust on him.

He touched his abdomen.

It didn't hurt.

It doesn't hurt today.

But that vague, lingering discomfort, as if something was slowly writhing inside his stomach, persisted.

Like a coiled snake.

Yu Lin lowered his hand, and a self‑mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

A man with terminal stomach cancer, in an ancient Roman province two thousand years ago, was fixated on stealing the Holy Son's corpse........

How exciting!

"Hello?"

Just as Yu Lin was lost in thought, a gentle female voice came from his right.

Yu Lin turned his head.

The sunset's rays fell exactly on the source of the voice, and he had to squint slightly.

At the doorway of the stone house next door stood a young woman.

She was about twenty‑three or twenty‑four, her olive‑toned skin glowing warmly in the twilight.

She wore a simple gray linen robe, a faded blue apron tied over it, and her hair was wrapped in a headscarf, revealing only a few strands of dark brown hair.

Her features were not striking, but they were pleasant to behold: soft eyebrow arches, a delicate straight nose, full lips, and a pair of large eyes like two amber stones soaked in sunlight—clean and warm.

At her feet, a small head poked out.

It was a five‑ or six‑year‑old little girl, her body hidden behind her mother, her two hands clutching the hem of the mother's skirt, revealing only a round little face and a pair of glossy black eyes.

Those eyes stared unblinking at Yu Lin, as if observing a creature they had never seen before and didn't know whether it would bite.

Yu Lin subconsciously sat up straight, a smile appearing on his face.

"Are you new here?" the woman's voice, filtered by the evening breeze, was soft and clear. "Where are you from?"

Yu Lin stood up and brushed the dust from his robe.

A polite, just‑right distance—neither so far as to seem indifferent nor so close as to feel intrusive.

"Yes, I just moved here," Yu Lin inclined his head slightly and replied, "My name is Yu Lin, I come from the East. From now on we'll be neighbors, please look after me."

He paid attention to his accent and word choice, trying to speak as clearly as possible.

"Yu Lin," the woman repeated the name gently, "a very pleasant name."

"My name is Mary."

She turned slightly, revealing the little girl hidden behind her,

"This is my daughter, Li Ya."