Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 2 The "junk collector" girl riding a donkey
"Zhen-Bao-Zhai"—A young woman wearing a veiled hat lifted her white veil and tilted her head to read the words on the plaque. In her hand, she held a delicate compass the size of a goose egg. On the compass, a red bean-sized seal was micro-engraved with several pinpoint-sized characters. Only those with exceptional eyesight could make out the words. "I just made a random engraving here, just to mark it. No one will read it anyway! — Elder Wuji." This compass must be the masterpiece of Elder Wuji, known as the "divine master."

The compass needle was spinning madly. The girl narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her lips, and she muttered to herself, "Looks like this is it."

The girl was secretly delighted, thinking, "This compass isn't usually very accurate, but today it's picking a spot, pointing to the renowned Zhenbaozhai." "Master, I'm sorry, it's not me being lazy; this is destiny!" You always say to go with the flow, so I'll take advantage of that and fill my stomach! As for those old rags... no, old things you asked me to find, we'll talk about that later! I've been waiting all these years, so this meal won't hurt."

Thinking of this, the girl closed the lid of the compass, casually stuffed it into her arms, rubbed her hands, and swallowed: What should I eat?
The girl's name was Rong Wanyin, sixteen years old, and she was the apprentice of Master Wuji. This was Rong Wanyin's first solo training. Her master was nearing seventy, and perhaps with age, he grew nostalgic. Rong Wanyin's purpose in this training was to gather all the "junk," er, "treasures," that her master had scattered across the land.

Rong Wanyin had once been somewhat puzzled, and had very tactfully expressed her doubts: Could it be that "a skillful hand, unrecognized in life, becomes priceless after death"? Master, are you pre-emptively pointing out a path to wealth for me, your disciple?
The master was very kind and patiently helped her answer her questions and resolve her doubts. He touched her head, smiled and told her to go away.

It rolled away, but even if it tried, it couldn't roll away fast. Rong Wanyin's mount—an old grey donkey with several missing teeth—stood motionless at the entrance to Zhenbaozhai, its head tilted back and its throat, like a broken bellows, bellowed, "Ang—ang—" The cry was so high-pitched and unpleasant that it drew the attention of the diners.

Rong Wanyin didn't feel embarrassed at all. Her skills hadn't improved much in the past few years, but she had become thicker-skinned. She was still very confident about this.

"Miss, come in and have a meal. Our restaurant is the best in Fengxian County. We are sure to satisfy you with all kinds of delicious food!" The waiter in charge of greeting at the door said loudly and made a gesture of invitation.

Although Fengxian County was located in the borderlands, it happened to be on the border between the Great Zhou and Liao dynasties, and was situated on a major transportation route, with prosperous commerce. For a time, it even had a touch of the charm of the capital. After all, Zhenbaozhai was the largest restaurant in Fengxian County, and the waiter had seen the world.

Rong Wanyin deftly removed her veil and swiftly leaped off the donkey's back. She casually handed the reins to the doorman, her demeanor resembling that of a prized horse. Unexpectedly, the donkey proved stubborn and stood still. Rong Wanyin frowned, then mercilessly slapped the donkey's rump, angrily declaring, "If you don't behave, I'll make you into donkey meat!"

The old grey donkey snorted, unwilling to be outdone. Rong Wanyin rolled her eyes and sighed. Helpless, she had to coax her own donkey. She put her arm around the old grey donkey's neck and softened her tone, coaxing him, "Hey, old man, I was a little rough just now. Don't take it to heart. I promise, I'll have the servants prepare the best fodder for you later. Plenty of it! Be good!"

Hey, you know what, the donkey seemed to understand what people said, and it actually lifted its legs and followed the servant obediently. When everyone saw this, they couldn't help but murmur in their hearts that this girl was pretty, but unfortunately she was a fool, and actually talked to a donkey.

Rong Wanyin strode into Zhenbaozhai and looked around. Wherever her eyes fell, everyone lowered their heads as if they were guilty thieves, pretending not to hear or see her "feat".

Her gaze darted around the restaurant, then she walked straight to an empty square table, gently lifted the hem of her skirt, and sat down sideways, her movements light and smooth. Once seated, she ordered gourd chicken and several signature dishes. After ordering, Rong Wanyin looked around and wondered, "Where could this 'junk' be?"
The restaurant was bustling with activity, and two diners at the next table were chatting. "Treasure House's food is really good, even better than Tianxiang Pavilion's!" a portly diner said as he chewed a piece of food with his chopsticks.

"Needless to say, I heard that Zhenbaozhai hired a chef from the capital at a high price. Tianxiang Pavilion is far inferior..." The thin diner came closer curiously and stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth.

"Tianxiang Pavilion used to be so prosperous, but now it's deserted. Its business has been taken away by Zhenbaozhai. I heard that the owner of Tianxiang Pavilion, Luo, is a vindictive person. He offended many people in his early years. In my opinion, if Tianxiang Pavilion really goes bankrupt, their mean-spirited boss will be the first one to not let him off!" said the fat gourmet, shaking his head.

Two diners were chatting when they heard the storyteller start telling a story, so they stopped and listened attentively.

The storyteller spoke eloquently, "Ladies and gentlemen, listen to me as I tell you about that secret story in Jianghu! Do you still remember this old man Wuji?"

Everyone shook their heads. When Rong Wanyin heard the storyteller mention her master, she couldn't help but prick up her ears to listen.

The storyteller clapped his wake-up stick and said, "Old Man Wuji was once the emperor's tutor. Fifteen years ago, the new emperor ascended the throne. High office, generous salaries, glory and wealth were all waiting for him. Countless people envied him! But he resolutely resigned and retired. The secret behind this is unknown to anyone."

The storyteller lamented, "All I know is that the world has lost a brilliant imperial tutor, but gained a skilled craftsman. After retiring, Elder Wuji was passionate about making all kinds of exquisite items. However, only a dozen or so pieces remain in the world today, and they are truly priceless."

"Fifteen years have passed, the dust has settled, and Elder Wuji's name has long been forgotten. Now, for some reason, people are suddenly offering high prices for his handicrafts, and no one knows why. I heard that two wealthy businessmen recently fought over these treasures. ... Some speculate that they contain peerless magical skills, while others say they are treasure maps. When this news spread, the entire martial arts world was in chaos, fighting to seize these treasures! Unfortunately, after several rounds of transactions, those treasures have disappeared without a trace, and have truly become extinct..."

When everyone in the audience heard this, they all looked regretful.

(End of this chapter)