A tributary of the Jiangchun River cut through the Ning Tian Prefecture. It was surrounded by a jade belt and was called the Yu Lin River. It was a famous and prosperous area of the city.
The sky turned dark, and the red clouds faded.
On the banks of the river, there were continuous pleasure boats, vermilion buildings, golden plaques, and colorful lanterns. The red sleeves of the ladies fluttered as they sang and danced. The weaving pedestrians on the banks were like threads on a cloth, and they wore jade and pearls, showing their elegance and wealth.
The courtesans competed for beauty, while the young masters and princes fanned themselves in pride.
If one were to look down at this mortal world from high up above…
At first glance, it looked like a prosperous world.
The Green Jade Pavilion was an extremely famous restaurant by the Yu Lin River. It was a luxurious place, and in the past, their guests were either rich or noble.
At this moment, in the private room upstairs, the Ning Tian Magistrate, the famous scholars, and the descendants of the aristocratic families were gathered at the banquet. They were either powerful or had hopes of becoming famous. They all toasted each other and enjoyed the scenery while chatting happily.
With such a group of people gathered, the topic of conversation was naturally not just about romance. From time to time, it would deviate to national matters and the Imperial Court.
“…Not long ago, His Majesty brought up the matter of moving the capital again. The capital is in the north, the place where the founder ascended to the throne. It’s just that the wind and sand are bitter and not a place that one can last long in.
His Majesty had long intended to move the capital to the Ning Tian Prefecture, but every time, he was advised against by the officials… Hmph, some eunuchs who think they’re clean really dare to say anything. Someone actually reprimanded His Majesty for being greedy for pleasure. How can they even do this?”
“The matter of moving the capital is a big deal. Even Prime Minister Qin and Prime Minister Lu don’t agree. I think this matter will be difficult to succeed. However, His Majesty has always liked the style of Ning Tian Prefecture. Every year, after autumn or spring, he will come to stay for two to three months. He didn’t come this season, so His Majesty will most likely come again in the autumn.”
“Over the years, His Majesty has been erecting a lot of buildings. He wants to build 81 towering sacred towers, 49 sky viewing towers, 36 Coiling Dragon Platforms, 72 Purple Jade Palaces, 18 Imperial Altars, and three Eternal Cities. This will form the basis for his achievements in the mortal world, which he hopes can illuminate the heavens and flow through the ages…
Now, only half of them have been built. I wonder when all of them will be completed. I think His Majesty’s intention to move the capital to the South is also for this.”
Everyone chatted non-stop about the current trends of the world.
At this moment, Magistrate Ning Tian, Zhao Xingan, coughed. He stroked his beard and smiled, “Don’t talk about His Majesty rashly. Let’s not talk about this today. Let’s talk about poetry, songs, and strange stories.”
Only then did everyone stop talking about the Imperial Court’s matters and chat about interesting things that they had heard recently.
Suddenly, a young master from an aristocratic family chuckled lightly as he spoke out,
“I heard from the servants that there was a strange rumor circulating in the city today. It’s said that during the day, a strange person used the method of immortals to walk on the river in front of everyone. He walked on the water as if it was flat ground. I wonder if it’s true.”
When everyone heard this, they were curious and asked for the reason.
The young master waved his fan and smiled, “I don’t know the details. Many people swore that they had seen it with their own eyes and even say that this person has already entered the city. I’ve never seen him before.”
“Then where is this person now? What’s his surname?” Someone asked curiously.
“It’s said that this person was treated as a VIP by the Ye family’s Ye Shunzhong and is currently living in the Ye family’s mansion. The servants of the Ye family spread this person’s name. He seems to be a Daoist named Ling Fengzi. He knows some divine abilities and methods. Everyone says that he’s a god who has descended to the mortal world.”
Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder.
Zhao Xingan, on the other hand, smiled casually and said nonchalantly, “In my opinion, it’s most likely because the ignorant people in the streets are just spreading rumors. How can there be such a divine power in the world? This Ling Fengzi probably used a smokescreen to attract attention. He’s just trying to take advantage of the situation.”
“The magistrate is right.”
Everyone present chuckled and echoed. Most of them did not believe in this matter as well.
After all, nothing was proven until seen with their own eyes.
Someone teased, “That Ye Shunzhong is usually quite shrewd. Why was he fooled this time? I want to see that Ling Fengzi and see what method he used to bewitch Ye Shunzhong.”
Zhao Xingan nodded and said with a smile, “This matter is simple. I’ll just say it. Ask Ye Shunzhong to bring this Daoist to the banquet. At that time, we’ll see how this Ling Fengzi puts on an act. It’ll also be an interesting thing. However, the Ye family’s Old Master has been sick recently, so it’s not appropriate to call him right now. Let’s talk about it when we’re free.”
“Haha, when the time comes, it will definitely be very interesting.”
Everyone laughed with anticipation.
As a wealthy person, the Ye Family was also a member of their circle. Now that they saw that the “insider” had been deceived, everyone wanted to join in the fun and watch him make a fool of himself.
At the same time, everyone was also quite curious about what kind of extraordinary person Ling Fengzi was. He actually dared to lie to the local rich. It was no big deal to lie to ordinary people and be exposed, but to lie to such a powerful merchant and embarrass them, the outcome would not be too wonderful.
…
On the other side, at the edge of the Yu Lin River in Ning Tian Prefecture, an old and young man in Daoist robes were seated in a shop by the street, drinking congee.
The old man had white hair and a youthful face. He looked like a sage and had an extraordinary appearance. The young man was 14 or 15 years old and looked like a Daoist disciple following him. He was tied up with two small knots. Their Daoist robes had been washed until they were white, and some were even patched up.
The two of them were travel-worn, and had also just entered the city today.
The two of them buried their heads in the congee, while a few customers at the next table were chatting excitedly about Zhou Jing’s deeds.
The young man pricked up his ears and listened for a while. He then looked up at the old Daoist and lowered his voice to ask curiously, “Master, is this Ling Fengzi’s divine power of walking on the river real?”
The old Daoist priest did not even look up as he casually said, “Of course it’s fake. Your master has cultivated for 60 years, but I’ve never seen such a technique.”