Hearing this, Cheng Bu Zheng showed an excited expression, as if the person who had been sulking just now was not him, displaying the Heart-Nature of a youth to the fullest, like a little fanboy.
“Then I thank Senior Brother Qian, I still know of your prestige in the town.
But, as a mere medicine boy, no one would deliberately seek trouble with me!”
Immediately, the two chatted about interesting events and Family matters in the town.
Suddenly.
“Senior Brother, has your Family’s convoy passed through Yaoshan Town in the past few days?”
Hearing this, Qian Zhe answered without hesitation, blurting out:
“Tomorrow, there’s a convoy going to the county town, and it just so happens to pass through Yaoshan Town!”
“Why do you want to go to Yaoshan Town?”
Qian Zhe immediately reacted and asked with great curiosity.
Cheng Bu Zheng showed an indifferent expression and said:
“Isn’t it that some medicinal ingredients in the medicine hall need to be replenished?
The doctor is out on house calls again, so I’m idle, aren’t I?
It just so happens that I can go to Yaoshan Town to acquire some medicinal ingredients and take this opportunity to go out and stroll around.”
As he spoke, an excited expression appeared on his face.
“Senior Brother, you also know that to reach Yaoshan Town, one must pass through the Cangqing Mountain Range, which is a place where bandits are entrenched, and only your Family’s convoy can pass through unharmed.
Other merchant convoys that pass through all have to shed a layer of skin.
If I go alone, I’ll definitely be like a meat bun thrown to a dog—gone for good.
Moreover, along the way, who knows how many wild beasts are waiting for a little lamb like me!”
Cheng Bu Zheng said with a playful smile, and when he spoke of the various difficulties, a helpless expression appeared on his face.
But in his heart, he was not as helpless as he appeared; instead, he was anxiously awaiting Qian Zhe’s final decision, as this concerned the first step on his immortal path.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have told Qian Zhe the process and ingredients for making the delicious lobster dish; all of this was his meticulous plan, from making it by the roadside to today, it was all to lure him in.
Cheng Bu Zheng did not use this to trade with him, as doing so at this critical moment would make his intentions too obvious, easily revealing them and potentially leading to unexpected situations.
In the town, only a few convoys had the strength to cross the Cangqing Mountain Range.
The decision-makers of the other convoys were not people a medicine boy like him could speak to, unless the doctor himself intervened.
If there was a safe method, he wouldn’t want to take a risk; even if bandits and rogues let him pass because he was poor, he still couldn’t escape the attacks of wild beasts along the way.
Those wild beasts wouldn’t care whether you were poor or not; they would only fixate on your flesh and blood.
Therefore, Cheng Bu Zheng could only painstakingly scheme to get an opportunity to go to the county town.
He knew that the Qian Family’s convoy departed once every seven days, giving him enough time to reach the county town.
But he didn’t say he was going directly to the county town; instead, he said he was going to Yaoshan Town, which was the closest to the county town.
He was afraid his plan would fail, so he didn’t mention going to the county town, which conveniently provided a perfect reason to pass through that dangerous area.
After all, the time for Immortals to recruit disciples in the county town was during this period.
Qian Zhe, hearing him say he was going to Yaoshan Town to acquire medicinal ingredients, still inquired in detail, showing that he had not completely let down his guard.
These powerful Families certainly did not wish for the existence of Immortal Families under their rule.
Otherwise, it was very likely to threaten their Family’s rule, yet they could not directly oppose Immortals recruiting disciples.
In fact, the bandits and rogues in the Cangqing Mountain Range might very well be supported by them!
Better safe than sorry; he preferred to prepare for the worst-case scenario rather than hoping for a good outcome, lest his plan be ruined.
Cheng Bu Zheng secretly mused in his heart.
In the end, Qian Zhe did not disappoint him.
Qian Zhe waved his hand grandly, as if very generous:
“No problem, I also need to go back to the county town tomorrow, so you can set off with me then.
It’ll be good to have someone to relieve the boredom on the way!”
“It is this junior’s fortune to be able to relieve Senior Brother’s boredom!”
Cheng Bu Zheng immediately flattered him, at this critical juncture, he would not relax in the slightest, even if he felt a bit nauseated himself.
As the saying goes, in life, one is often not in control of oneself!
At the same time, Cheng Bu Zheng thought to himself, “He’s going to the county town at this time, probably for the Immortal selection, right!
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be such a coincidence!
It seems I’ll have to disguise myself once I reach the county town to avoid this ‘good Senior Brother’ recognizing me!”
After confirming the time with Qian Zhe, he offered another round of flattery, followed by a string of witty remarks that made this ‘good Senior Brother’ laugh heartily.
In the afternoon, Cheng Bu Zheng walked out of the Immortal Remaining Pavilion with light steps, the gentle cool breeze blowing on his face, causing his heart to tremble slightly.
The slight joy on his face just now quietly faded, and he secretly admonished himself, “Never be careless until the dust settles!”
After some adjustment, Cheng Bu Zheng returned to a state of calm.
He looked at the bustling street; young villagers haggled with vendors over a single copper coin, while old men and women sold their homegrown vegetables, small fish, and tofu on both sides of the street.
How similar the lives of Mortals are; this is the short life of a Mortal, perhaps he too will, in the future, toil for a living.
Born like an ant, one should have the ambition to transcend into an Immortal.
Cheng Bu Zheng secretly made up his mind, a hint of determination flashing across his face, then he no longer delayed and walked towards the town’s post station.
In the evening, at Bairen Medicine Hall.
Xiao Li, who was on duty, was listlessly half-lying on the wide chair, his eyes narrowed as his mind wandered.
Suddenly, Xiao Li felt a shadow block him, which startled him into a yelp, then he patted his small chest, looking as if he had been scared to death.
“Senior Brother Bu Zheng, you scared me to death! You owe me a string... no, two strings of candied hawthorns, or else this isn’t over!”
Cheng Bu Zheng looked at Xiao Li’s chubby little face and laughed:
“You!
When the doctor is home, why aren’t you lively and jumping around, but as soon as he leaves, you become listless!”
“Is that the same?” Xiao Li squinted at Cheng Bu Zheng, pouting.
Cheng Bu Zheng looked at Xiao Li, who was half-lying on the chair with a listless expression, and found it quite amusing.
He regarded the few medicine boys as his younger brothers and usually looked after them.
But he was leaving tomorrow, and he didn’t know if he would be accepted by an Immortal; even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t return to be a medicine boy.
When he would return again, he didn’t know which year or month it would be.
He was about to reach out, but Xiao Li dodged him.
“I won’t let you pinch me again!” Xiao Li looked at him angrily.
Cheng Bu Zheng smiled playfully, teasing, “I wasn’t going to pinch you, do you believe me?”
“No…!”
Cheng Bu Zheng turned his head and glanced at the sky, saying:
“Alright, guard for another hour, then get ready to close up!
Get some rest early!”
Hearing this, Xiao Li’s face immediately lit up with joy, and he secretly thought:
“This is much earlier than the usual closing time!”
“Thank you, Senior Brother… Senior Brother, do you want to pinch me now?”
Saying this, he brought his joyful face closer.
“Next time!” Cheng Bu Zheng waved his hand and turned to walk towards the staircase.
Back on the second floor, he glanced at the doctor’s bedroom; the door was tightly shut, and a copper lock hung on the doorknob, securely locking the door.
Cheng Bu Zheng’s heart stirred slightly.
Returning to his room, he sat on a chair, pulled a blank sheet of paper from the table, took out a brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing about his upcoming journey.
The script in this world was vastly different from his previous life.
Having undergone Transmigration, he knew that literacy was of utmost importance, otherwise, no matter what he did in the future, he would be restricted everywhere.
Unless he spent his whole life scrounging for food in the dirt.
Thus, he forcibly dragged his elder brother along to secretly learn from the scholar in their village.
Relying on his past life’s innate wisdom, within half a year, he could fluently read books, and although he couldn’t write a decent essay, he was more than capable of being a teacher.
His elder brother, however, was much slower than him.
After annotating the characters with phonetic spellings, he finally taught his elder brother how to read and write, so he didn’t have to memorize tens of thousands of characters by rote.
The result was delightful; finally, a year later, his elder brother could also read books fluently.
Cheng Bu Zheng wrote about his journey, but he didn’t write everything down completely, such as his participation in the Immortal selection or his reliance on the Qian Family’s convoy.
Although the doctor treated him well, he didn’t want to disappear without a word, but he also didn’t want to cause trouble; he wrote what he could and vaguely glossed over what he couldn’t.
A quarter of an hour later, the writing was complete.
Cheng Bu Zheng quietly waited for the ink to dry, reviewing and planning for any omissions.
Half an hour later, Cheng Bu Zheng pushed open his room door, looked around, and seeing no one outside, he walked to the doctor’s door, took a letter from his Pregnant, and slipped it into the doctor’s room through the door crack.
PS: Fellow Daoists who truly like the medicine boy, you can join the group: 547741836
