I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 205 Unable to See Fate

There were people of all classes on the ship.

Besides the helmsmen and cooks at the bow, there were also scholars and officials living in their own small cabins; students gathered in twos and threes, swaying their heads and reciting poems; further afield, merchants carried their goods, with musicians singing songs around them to relieve their fatigue; in the lower cabins, women, poor people, and farmers were crammed together... each going their own way.

Zhang Guolao's hair and beard were completely white.

Although he didn't use a cane, he looked quite old, and the boatmen and passengers around him gave him some space as he walked on the boat.

Zhang Guolao tugged at his sleeve unhappily.

"I'm more adept at doing whatever you ask!"

The scholar and boatman who had stepped aside were taken aback. They looked at the old man with the white beard. The old man was indeed fast and healthy. He led the donkey and walked away in a few steps, until he reached a scholar.

Jiang She put the book aside.

"In the end, Guo Lao still found out."

Zhang Guolao laughed heartily and stroked his beard, saying:

"After all, it was Mr. Jiang who did it, so naturally I took it to heart. How many things in the world can disappear without a trace and whose outcome I can't even predict? I probably knew it was Mr. Jiang who did it."

Zhang Guolao spoke with great curiosity.

"What did you make with that paper cutting, sir?"

Jiang She then told him about Li Xuan's situation.

"Seven days ago, I encountered a wandering spirit, a Taoist priest who was astral inhabiting the body. He claimed to be from Bazhou, practicing Taoism in Bozhou, and had come in search of immortals."

Zhang Guolao became interested.

"Is there still this?"

He stroked his beard and said, "He is indeed perceptive; he is truly lucky to have found you, sir."

As the two were talking, the cat perked up, stretched its paws, yawned, and then, upon seeing the donkey, became alert and stared intently at it.

Jiang She stroked the cat's head and said:
"That sorcerer was named Li Xuan. According to his method of cultivation, he could maintain his spirit's journey for seven days and perform the ritual once every ten years."

"He returned not long ago."

Zhang Guolao thought of the paper figure. The monk had been killed and his body had possessed a piece of paper. Now that paper was gone.

"But what went wrong while he was lost in thought?"

Jiang She nodded.

"exactly."

Zhang Guolao was even more curious than Jiang She himself, and was somewhat interested in going to Bozhou to see what was going on.

He patted the white donkey's head and asked:
"Would you like to ride the donkey and take a look, sir?"

Jiang She pointed to the cabin and refused with a smile.

"The ship will set sail tomorrow. Guo Lao and I have already paid the fees, especially Guo Lao, who has been very generous. And we can't do without the ship."

Zhang Guolao seemed somewhat regretful, not wanting this to happen again.

I should have known better than to pay the boatman so much. How did Mr. Jiang end up seeing it and remembering it?

"How about that?"

Jiang She replied with a smile:

“I have a method that is somewhat similar to Li Xuan’s method of astral projection. I tried it once before and it worked fairly well.”

"I wonder if Elder Guo would be willing to come with me?"

Zhang Guolao had heard of the concept of the spirit leaving the body. It was similar to what happens to a monk after death, except that the spirit nourishes the physical body and then cultivates the soul before leaving the body to travel the world. In ancient times, some people even wrote about it in books, saying that it was a way to become an immortal.

Zhang Guolao scoffed at the time.

It's just a ghost!
Now Jiang She is saying this...

Zhang Guolao relaxed his brows and said with a smile, "That would be wonderful."

"Why haven't I heard you mention this before, sir?"

"I just remembered it."

As Jiang She spoke, he led the cat and the book back to their cabin and asked gently, "Would you like to go and take a look too?"

The cat tilted its head back and meowed.

"go with!"

Zhang Guolao gazed at the cat.

It still has some fine downy fur on its body, looking like a soft, fluffy ball. It is growing slowly and is clearly still a small kitten, but it already has its own intelligence and speaks clearly. I heard that it can even read the Thousand Character Classic.

Then he looked at his donkey.

He felt a little uneasy. This dullard had been by his side for so long and hadn't uttered a single word. "Hehe, sir, this cat is truly clever and quick-witted."

After a moment of reflection, Zhang Guolao asked:

"How do we achieve a spiritual journey out of the body?"

He had never experienced astral projection before. Zhang Guolao's aged face held the curiosity of a child, eager to see what Jiang She would do.

"Please close your eyes, Elder Guo."

"Eh?"

next moment.

The two figures appeared ethereal, rising into the air, and the cat's eyes widened in surprise.

Zhang Guolao looked down at his own body. They were sitting in the cabin, and could hear the chaotic noises from the large ship. Zhang Guolao could even feel the white donkey chewing on his sleeve, tugging at it.

He and Mr. Jiang floated between heaven and earth.

With a slight leap, it traveled several feet away. The evening light shone on the water, making the sky and the river appear as one, with ever-changing clouds and a thousand miles of sunset glow.

The evening breeze passed over the two of them and lapped against the shore.

The river flows ceaselessly.

For a moment, Zhang Guolao forgot to speak.

After a moment, he loosened his grip on the beard he had accidentally plucked, reattached it, and murmured in admiration, "Sir, you are truly amazing..."

Jiang She invited him to speak.

"I'm sorry to delay you, Elder Guo. Come with me to Bozhou and see how Li Xuan is doing."

Zhang Guolao laughed heartily.

"Haha, of course I'll keep you company. Don't be so polite. There's no need to delay. This old man has plenty of time!"

……

……

"That's the person."

A light drizzle was falling from the sky.

The old man, his back hunched and waist stooped, pointed shakily at the beggar in the distant mountains. In the distance, the man had washed himself from head to toe and was almost finished.

The stream water has become quite dirty.

Although he looked the same, the beggar's demeanor and expression were completely different from before. He showed no sign of fear or cowardice, and there was no hint of flattery or fawning on his face.

It's like another person has moved in.

The old land deity pointed with reverence, showing it to the City God and the civil and military judges, then quickly lowered his head, afraid of offending someone.

Judge Wu, holding an iron chain, questioned the City God.

"It really is alive, what a strange thing. Should I have my subordinate summon its spirit to take a look?"

"Not urgent."

The City God sized up the beggar.

The beggar appeared serene, his demeanor unrestrained and free; from afar, the city god found him to possess a refined and upright air. The city god instructed Judge Wen to fetch the book and scrutinize the beggar.

Just then, the beggar looked up, with stream water and rainwater streaming down his head, and looked in this direction.

The City God observed his face.

When we met eyes and brows, I felt a moment of confusion and uncertainty, as if I couldn't quite grasp the meaning of fate.

He is definitely not just a poor, unfortunate beggar.

What happened in the end?

The City God glanced at the lifespan recorded in the register, various thoughts swirling in his mind. Perhaps he had an epiphany, or received guidance from a master, or maybe some treasure had sprouted on the mountain and the beggar had eaten it?

He was about to send someone forward to inquire.

The beggar laughed loudly.

I had already seen them standing there in their official robes, with a hunchbacked old local official standing next to them. It was obvious at a glance that they were people recruited by the old local official.

He straightened his clothes and put the tattered shirt back on.

"You've been watching for a while, why don't you step forward and ask?"

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)