This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 51 Today is different from the past

Now Zhuang Lin can freely control the Hidden Immortal Valley formation, so the boat is moving very fast in the waters. At the same time, the sky and the earth are changing as he thinks, and the waters are completely connected to Kuching.

Compared with the mist that was emitted by the formation in the past, now wherever Zhuang Lin's boat passed, everything was exceptionally clear. If he wanted mist, it was fine, and if he didn't want it, there was no need to worry about the clouds and fog.

Along the way, Zhuang Lin could still see some of the marks left by Tao Yuanming, but some of them were inevitably blurred as the trees on the shore grew and healed. If he searched according to this standard, it would easily affect some people's judgment.

Of course, without any additional interference, basically no one can find the Peach Blossom Spring.

The boat soon left the Hidden Immortal Valley and truly entered the Wuling waters of Kuching.

At this point, Zhuang Lin no longer stood at the bow of the boat, but had to row at the stern.

However, Zhuang Lin's rowing was also symbolic to a certain extent. After all, although his theory of the five elements had not been thoroughly studied, he had already gained some results.

Moreover, Zhuang Lin's cultivation in the Star-Moon Realm and the realm of a True Person are there. According to the remaining information of the Dharma lineage, even when the ancient immortal way was flourishing, he could not be considered a big shot, but at least he was someone who could gain a foothold in the world.

So the water flows along with the thought, and the boat moves very fast.

And to put it another way, even if his water control method is still very poor, Zhuang Lin's current brute force cannot be underestimated.

Following the current, when other boats gradually appeared nearby, the violent behavior of the boat under Zhuang Lin gradually subsided.

When walking to the main road of the water area, some boats passed by Zhuang Lin from time to time.

Zhuang Lin was in a very good mood and looked at everything around him with a playful attitude.

Although I did come here last time, it was too hasty and I was worried the whole time. Even after finding Liu Hongyu, I was in a hurry to go back.

But this time, Zhuang Lin was in a different state of mind. He was not worried about never coming back, nor was he worried about his life safety!

If possible, take a walk and have a look around the mountains and rivers of Kuching. Even if you don’t encounter any adventures or solve some puzzles, it will be good to explore the way for future people in the valley.

Sitting in the blessed land of Yinxian Valley, which can connect to ancient times, it is naturally impossible to just sit there and watch. It is related to both spiritual practice and life.

However, there is one thing that needs to be avoided as much as possible, that is, some historical trends cannot be changed, otherwise the consequences will be beyond the estimation of Zhuang Lin now.

A fishing boat was slowly approaching from a distance. When it got close to Zhuang Lin's boat, the fisherman on it looked over and shouted with a smile.

"Hey, young man over there, you're here to find the Peach Blossom Spring too, right?"

Zhuang Lin's heart moved. Yes, so much time has passed, the story of Peach Blossom Spring should have spread long ago, so he went with the flow and responded with a smile.

"Yes—I came here with great enthusiasm but couldn't find the Peach Blossom Spring. What a pity—"

The fisherman over there made a joke as he rowed past.

"I saw you smiling, sir, and I thought you had found it. If you had found it, you would have become famous overnight—"

"Although I haven't found the Peach Blossom Spring, the picturesque scenery of Wuling is enough to make me feel happy and happy. I didn't leave disappointed."

Zhuang Lin responded with a smile, and at this moment the two boats had already passed each other.

When the old man over there heard Zhuang Lin's words, he immediately put down the oars briefly, turned sideways and bowed towards the boat.

"Mr. Master, you are right—"

“You’re welcome—”

Zhuang Lin also put down the oars and returned the greeting.

The two ships then continued to move in their own directions and gradually distanced themselves from each other.

On the boat, Zhuang Lin breathed a sigh of relief with a smile on his face. This kind of brief communication, without any interests or purposes, just out of boredom during the journey, can sometimes make people happy.

The small boat seemed to be always faster than a normal ship, and it was approaching Wuling Port in the afternoon.

I randomly found a dock on the edge and approached it. There were already three young men running after the boat, shouting as they ran.

"Sir, do you need to moor your boat?" "Sir, I'll help you find a suitable berth for your boat!"

"My dear, just ask me to look at the boat. If you want to exchange it for money, that's fine too!"

When Zhuang Lin's boat stopped at the steps, some of the servants helped to row the boat, while others helped to pull the ropes, appearing extremely attentive.

Zhuang Lin put on his bookcase, picked up the brown sandalwood pole and stepped onto the stairs. The sounds from the shore never stopped.

"Sir, I'm the one for you, right?" "My price is right!"

"I can also negotiate!"

The servants spoke again, mostly introducing themselves in various ways.

Zhuang Lin looked at the people around him and asked curiously, "How did you know I needed help mooring my boat, or even selling it?"

The three of them looked at each other, and someone smiled and spoke first.

"You look unfamiliar, young master. You must be from out of town, looking for the Peach Blossom Spring. We've seen many distinguished visitors like you!"

"Yes, yes, you probably bought this boat outright. If you rented it, the owner would definitely be there to greet you when you arrived at the port! So since there's no owner, you'll naturally need someone to help you moor and watch over the boat. If you want to go boating again, you can hire me to row it for you. It's much easier than doing it yourself."

The last one was not willing to be outdone and rushed to speak.

"That's right, and for someone like you, after visiting Wuling and searching for the Peach Blossom Spring, it would be inconvenient to take this boat with you when you leave. Instead of abandoning it, why not sell it to me and buy the money for a boat?"

Zhuang Lin suddenly realized that although these three people were not very old, they had obviously been making a living outside for a long time. The ancient times were not just a background presentation in a screen script, but a reality that was connected to everyone's life.

As for selling the boat for money, these three people probably have no capital, so they are just like half-brokers, making a profit from the difference.

"Then you can help me find a berth and watch the boat. I wonder how to charge?"

Zhuang Lin pointed at the youngest boy, who looked delighted.

"Sir, a ten-cent deposit will cover you for three days. That's the starting price. Any less than three days will be charged the same. After that, it'll be five cents a day. Any less than a day will be rounded up. Don't worry if you can't come back for something. Anyway, you can pay it back on time when you return!"

Zhuang Lin didn't know the price either, but when he saw the two servants beside him walking away with embarrassed smiles after listening, he knew the price was fair. He nodded and took out two big coins from his pocket.

I exchanged these copper coins at the inn when I came here last time. I didn’t have enough to buy a boat, so I just kept them. They are just right for use this time.

"Okay, this is the deposit, but how can I find you when the time comes?"

Zhuang Lin asked again while holding the copper coin.

"Don't worry, sir. As long as you come to Wuling Port, I will definitely look for you first!"

"Okay, okay, that's good!"

Zhuang Lin smiled and nodded again, placed the copper coin hanging in his hand into the boy's raised hand, then walked up the stairs and left with the book box on his back.

"Sir, take care. By the way, my name is Gou'er—"

Hearing the boy's shout from behind, Zhuang Lin looked back, nodded, and continued walking forward.

This time, Zhuang Lin's feelings were more detailed. From the moment the boat entered the harbor to the moment he docked and disembarked, many people around him looked at him with a bit of awe.

This is certainly not directed only at Zhuang Lin, but also at the awe that ordinary people have towards the class of scholars.

Ordinary people in later generations could also receive education, but here, being literate meant being above the ordinary class. There was even a high chance that one was a child of an aristocratic family. Even those from so-called poor families were mostly not ordinary people without any background, but had just fallen on hard times.

Because it would come again sooner or later, Zhuang Lin had made some preparations recently. He knew that in this era when the imperial examination system had not yet been born, a scholar who could possibly be free from work was definitely not something that ordinary people could have, and even if one existed, it would be an exception.

The identity of a scholar also brought Zhuang Lin many conveniences invisibly.

Occasionally, there would be government officials passing by, and their eyes would mostly stay on ordinary people. Even if they were looking at Zhuang Lin, when he looked at them, they would subconsciously avoid looking at him because of his calm eyes.

With mixed feelings in his heart, Zhuang Lin walked towards the Wuling City Gate a little further away.

This time, Zhuang Lin had a folded piece of paper in his arms with a simple word "pass" written on it. But as long as the police who checked the pass saw it, they would think it was a real pass.

However, people at the city gate would occasionally check on strangers passing by, but no one asked Zhuang Lin for anything.

Zhuang Lin felt that he had prepared a lot of things, but his punch hit nothing, and he didn't even have a chance to verify the simple deception he had deduced.

However, when Zhuang Lin was amused by his own mentality, he caught a glimpse of a notice at the city gate out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but pause in his forward steps, then walked past the people around him to the notice and took a closer look.

At this moment, there were occasional people coming and going at the city gate, but no one stopped. It was obvious that the notice had been posted for a while and everyone was aware of it.

Perhaps Zhuang Lin's figure reading the notice attracted more attention from passers-by than the notice itself.

Zhuang Lin was watching carefully.

Wuling County:

Recently, bandits and evil spirits have returned and are harming people's lives. Now, various government departments and village martial artists and hunters are trying to capture them, but they have not been able to catch them. Some masters have also tried to exorcise the evil spirits, but to no avail.

If there are any passing residents, merchants, etc., they should not stay outside before the hour of Mao or after the hour of Shen, for fear of being harmed by thieves, bandits or evil spirits. Everyone should be aware of this.
Zhuang Lin frowned slightly. He had seen a similar notice before, but this one was obviously not the same one.

It's been so long, and it's still not resolved?

At this moment, Zhuang Lin couldn't help but flash through the original scene in his mind: the robber and the woman, as well as the disturbing atmosphere at that time.
As his thoughts raced, Zhuang Lin looked up at the sky. It was still noon, and the sun was high in the sky.

It’s still early, let’s go into the city and take a look around first!
(End of this chapter)