Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 325 The Fishing Path! The Luo Family of Dongting!

When the Bone Monster's clone subdued the Great River City, Zhu Ge's main body had just finished writing the penultimate chapter of "Journey to the West." As for the final chapter, Zhu Ge planned to write it when he broke through to the third realm.

Otherwise, if he finishes writing now, the surging literary energy will directly lead to his breakthrough.

"call----"

He accepted the paper and pen and looked up.

"Where are we?" Zhu Ge looked at Liu Jianjian, who was chatting with her hair in front of her.

"We're almost at Jingdezhen," Liu Jianjian replied with a grin. "Master, I've heard that Jingdezhen's porcelain is the best in the world. Shall we go take a look?"

Jingdecheng?

Zhu Ge nodded slightly: "Okay."

Anyway, it's all the same whether I travel the world or not.

However, at that moment, a huge convoy of vehicles arrived from thousands of miles away. The convoy consisted of a series of flying boats and spaceships, and there were even people flying in the sky.

The flying magical artifacts also bear the character "Luo" from the couple's name.

"The Luo family of Dongting is traveling; all unauthorized persons must give way!"

Before the convoy even arrived, a force rose up from that direction, knocking pedestrians aside.

"Oh my god! What happened?!"

"What an arrogant convoy! Mr. Wu has never been afraid of anyone in the world."

"Get out of the way! This is the Luo family of Dongting, the local tyrants of Jingdezhen!"

"The Luo family of Dongting! I've heard that this family has a powerful agricultural official in charge!"

The pedestrians on the road were talking amongst themselves, but Zhu Ge's carriage remained motionless and was not pushed to the side of the road.

So, only Zhu Ge's carriages were parked in the middle.

"How dare you!"

The leader of the Dongting Luo family was a late-stage Second Realm cultivator. Upon seeing Zhu Ge's carriage, he immediately shouted, "This official road was opened by the Dongting Luo family! Quickly make way, lest you make a mistake!"

Was the official road built by the Luo family of Dongting Lake?

Zhu Ge narrowed her eyes.

Luo Family of Dongting — Da Nong —

If Zhu Ge remembered correctly, this family was mentioned in a book he had read.

The Luo family of Dongting is essentially a fishing family branch of a farming family.

In fact, whether it is agriculture and forestry or fishing and animal husbandry, they are all branches of farming.

Fishing trails, pastoral trails, and forest trails are all branches of agricultural trails.

Just like the way of chivalry, the way of soldiers, and the way of thieves are all branches of martial arts.

The reason Zhu Ge knew about the Luo family of Dongting was because there was a person with the surname Luo.

A fisherman in a straw raincoat!

The fisherman in the straw raincoat came from Dongting Prefecture, and what he learned was the "Dongting Fishermen's Song" passed down in his family.

I never expected to run into you here.

"Was the official road opened by the Luo family of Dongting?" Zhu Ge's voice came from the carriage, neither too loud nor too soft, but clearly penetrating the noisy wind and voices on the official road.

The first cultivator from the Luo family of Dongting was riding on the back of a spirit beast that resembled a giant lizard. The beast was covered in iron-gray scales, and the ground trembled slightly when it stomped its four feet.

Hearing Zhu Ge's voice, his brows furrowed sharply.

The spirit beast beneath him seemed to sense its master's emotions, letting out a low growl and opening its massive maw, filled with sharp teeth, to spew a hot, foul breath toward Zhu Ge's carriage.

Are you deaf or stupid?

The cultivator held a ten-foot-long iron whip in his hand, with fine fishing net-like patterns wrapped around it, the patterns gleaming with a pale blue luster in the sunlight: "The Dongting Luo family's caravan, you're blocking the middle of the official road, are you looking for death?"

'

The pedestrians who had been thrown to the ground on both sides of the official road scrambled to their feet. Some patted the dust off their bodies and cursed, while others clutched their injured backs and groaned softly.

But their cursing stopped abruptly when they heard the words "Luo family of Dongting," replaced by an expression of fear and resignation.

Some people even took a few steps back to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Liu Jianjian sat on the carriage shaft, her legs dangling in mid-air and swaying gently.

Her long, black hair fluttered in the wind, the ends of which seemed to be alive, slightly curling up as if sensing the movement of the surrounding air.

She turned her head to look at Zhu Ge inside the carriage, then at the cultivator riding a spirit beast and wielding an iron whip in front of her, a knowing smile curving her lips: "Master, he says this official road belongs to his family."

Zhu Ge's gaze fell on the cultivator, then passed over him to look at the large convoy behind him.

Flying boats, airships, supply wagons pulled by spirit beasts, and several cultivators flying through the air.

Each of the flying cultivators stood on a magical artifact shaped like fish scales, forming a neat array in the air, like a flock of birds soaring across the sky.

At the very center of the convoy was a three-story ship, its hull made entirely of some kind of dark red spirit wood, with intricate water patterns and fish scale designs carved on its surface.

Huge paddle wheels on both sides of the ship were slowly turning, and even on land, it could move forward steadily by relying on spiritual power.

A huge flag hung from the gun turret of the warship, with a large "Luo" character embroidered in gold thread on it, which shone brightly in the sunlight.

"The Luo family of Dongting Lake—" Zhu Ge softly repeated the name, then lowered the carriage curtain: "Jianjian, move aside."

Liu Jianjian was stunned for a moment.

She turned her head to look inside the carriage and saw through the gap in the curtain that Zhu Ge's expression was calm and normal, without any sign of anger or compromise.

Although she didn't fully understand Zhu Ge's personality, she knew that there weren't many things that would make Zhu Ge actively avoid them.

Unless he feels it's not worth the effort.

"Alright, make way!" Liu Jianjian jumped off the carriage shaft, clapped her hands, and waved to the spirit beast pulling the carriage in front.

The spirit beast was a large, armored creature resembling a rhinoceros, yet gentle in nature.

Upon hearing Liu Jianjian's instruction, the carriage was slowly pulled toward the side of the road, its iron hooves making a dull thud on the gravel surface of the official road.

After the carriage came to a stop by the roadside, Liu Jianjian tilted her head and watched the massive Luo family caravan drive past in a grand procession through the middle of the official road.

The flying boats and spaceships were only a few feet above the ground. When they swept over Zhu Ge's carriage, they created a strong gust of air that flattened the roadside weeds.

The cultivators flying through the air glanced down at the carriages by the roadside, their eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disdain.

The lead cultivator riding the spirit beast paused briefly beside Zhu Ge's carriage, twirled his iron whip in his hand, and snorted, "You're smart to know what's good for you."

Then he patted the spirit beast's neck, and the giant lizard let out a low roar, striding forward and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The convoy took about fifteen minutes to pass completely. It consisted of a vast array of flying boats, auxiliary carts, spirit beast formations, and cultivators soaring through the air.

It was like a winding, giant steel serpent crawling along the official road.

After the last heavy cart passed, deep ruts and rubble crushed by the iron hooves of the spirit beast remained on the road, and a faint, burnt aroma of spirit wood lingered in the air.

Liu Jianjian jumped back onto the carriage shaft and urged the armored beast back to the center of the official road. She turned back to the carriage and asked, "Master, the Luo family is so arrogant, aren't you angry?"

"What's the use of getting angry?" Zhu Ge's voice came from behind the carriage curtain, with a hint of lazy casualness: "They've wasted all their energy on putting on a show; it's not worth my attention."

He had a grudge against the fisherman in the straw raincoat, but he had no grudge against the Luo family.

He's not sick; he was traveling happily, so why did he have to provoke the Luo family?

"Okay." Liu Jianjian stuck out her tongue, not thinking much of it.

The armored beast continued walking forward, its wheels making a regular creaking sound as they rolled over the gravel road.

The fields on both sides of the official road were a deep green under the early summer sun.

On the distant horizon, the outline of a city can be vaguely seen, its gray-white walls slightly distorted by the heat, as if seen through a layer of flowing water.

That is Jingdezhen.

The closer we got to Jingdezhen, the more people and vehicles there were on the official road.

There were peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders, farmers driving livestock, cultivators riding spirit beasts, and commoners sitting in simple oxcarts.

When those people saw the Luo family's convoy passing by, they all stepped aside and waited until the festivities were over before daring to continue on their way, their faces showing a numb acceptance of it all.

Zhu Ge's carriage moved slowly through the crowd, inconspicuous.

Although the armored beast is large and robust, it is not a rare sight on this official road leading to Jingdezhen.

Along the way, you can see several mythical beasts, also used for pulling carts, resting by the roadside.

Their keeper squatted to the side, smoking a pipe and chatting idly about his experiences in the city.

"Have you heard? The Luo family of Dongting brought all their most treasured possessions from their old house this time."

An old man squatting by the roadside smoking a pipe gestured to his companion and raised his chin in the direction where the Luo family's convoy had gone.

"The best stuff you've got? What is it?" His companion was a middle-aged man with dark skin and broad, thick hands, clearly someone who had done manual labor for years.

"Porcelain, what else could it be?" The old man tapped the ash from his pipe. "Jingdezhen is renowned for its porcelain. The Luo family of Dongting owns the richest kilns in the city, and their porcelain is in high demand everywhere they go."

"This time they brought out all the 'old items' collected in the old house. It is said that the gold-painted bottles are worth ten years of our work."

The middle-aged man clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with a complex expression of longing yet knowing it was unattainable: "Those are things for high-ranking officials and nobles, what does it have to do with us?"

"Hehe, maybe we can catch a glimpse." The old man put away his pipe, stood up, and patted the dirt off his backside. "Let's go into town and have a look."

Their conversation drifted into Zhu Ge's ears in bits and pieces.

He didn't listen intentionally, but the information settled naturally in his consciousness like water droplets seeping into sand.

The Luo family of Dongting Lake, Jingdezhen, porcelain, kiln sites, and the official kilns of the previous dynasty—these words pieced together a gradually clearer picture in his mind.

The armored beast continued along the official road, and about half an hour later, the city gate of Jingde City came into view.

The city gate was much taller than Zhu Ge had imagined, more than three zhang tall, and the gate opening was wide enough for four carriages to pass side by side.

Above the city gate is a huge blue stone plaque with the two characters "Jingde" written in clerical script, the strokes powerful and vigorous.

Each stroke has a subtle glaze at the end, as if the ink has been sealed into the texture of the stone using the techniques of porcelain firing.

Two rows of soldiers stood guard on either side of the city gate, but they did not stop the flow of people in and out; they seemed more like mere decorations.

The men actually in charge were a few dressed in dark blue short jackets near the inside of the city gate.

They wore iron tags around their waists, engraved with a fishing net pattern and a small character "罗" (Luo).

These people checked each merchant and pedestrian entering the city, occasionally letting them open their loads or boxes for a quick look before waving them through.

As Zhu Ge's carriage lined up in front of the city gate, Liu Jianjian jumped down from the carriage shaft.

She walked up to a man in a blue shirt who was being checked in the front row, and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle, we're from out of town and will be staying in the city for a few days. Is there anything we should be aware of?"

The man in blue glanced at her, then at the carriage and the armored beast behind her, his gaze lingering on the beast for a moment.

Then he snorted and pointed towards the inside of the city gate: "Out-of-towners? Behave yourself after you enter the city. No private fights, no street vending, no washing clothes or rice by the river, and no setting off fireworks at night. And also..."

He paused, then emphasized, "No one is allowed to approach the Luo family's kiln. The kiln area is fenced off, and anyone who tries to climb over the fence will have their legs broken."

Liu Jianjian blinked and nodded obediently, "Okay, okay, we're just here to browse the porcelain, buy a few nice pieces to take home as decorations, and not cause any trouble."

The man in blue looked her up and down a few times, seemingly finding the young-looking girl to be no threat, and waved her away.

The moment the carriage entered the city gate, a wave of heat hit us. That heat was completely different from the wind in the fields outside the city.

Dry, scorching, with a dull smell like that left after years of kiln fires.

Fine dust particles floated in the air, forming a thin, warm-looking haze in the afternoon sunlight.

The streets of Jingdezhen were much wider than Zhu Ge had imagined. The main street was paved with neat bluestone slabs, and there were shops and warehouses lining both sides.

The shops were filled with all kinds of porcelain.

From the most ordinary coarse porcelain bowls and plates to fine porcelain vases decorated with gold and color, the collection is piled up in a dazzling array, gleaming with the unique warm luster of the glaze under the sunlight.

Occasionally, half of the shop owner's face would peek out from between the porcelain pieces. Most of those faces looked like those of elderly craftsmen, with fine lines at the corners of their eyes from years of watching the kiln fire, and rough, calloused hands.

The streets were much more crowded than outside the city.

Wealthy merchants dressed in silk haggled at the shop entrance, while porters in coarse cloth carried bundles of porcelain and hurried through the crowd.

There were also scholars dressed in long gowns who stopped in front of the stalls to examine the porcelain, nodding and commenting on the glaze and painting of a certain piece.

Liu Jianjian parked the carriage at a relatively quiet alleyway on the street corner, jumped down, looked around, took a deep breath, and revealed a satisfied expression: "There's the smell of firewood, the smell of earth, and a very faint—what's that smell?"

"Glaze".

Zhu Ge stepped out of the carriage, her feet making a crisp sound as she stepped onto the bluestone slabs.

He looked up at the eaves of the houses on both sides of the street and the faintly visible chimneys of the kilns in the distance.

The chimneys, some tall and some short, stood in all directions of the city, from which wisps of smoke rose and blended into the gray-blue afternoon sky.

The bony wings on his back had been retracted to the extreme, and from the outside, only a very faint grayish-white mark, like a tattoo on the skin, could be seen.

This was a preparation he had made before arriving in Jingdecheng—the appearance of the bone monster clone was rather conspicuous, and there was no need to make a fuss about it unless necessary.

"Let's find a place to stay first," Zhu Ge said, looking around. "Then we'll go out and check out the situation in the city."

.

Liu Jianjian nodded and led the armored beast along the street.

They walked through several bustling streets and alleys, and finally found an inn in a relatively quiet neighborhood in the city.

The inn's signboard reads "Ciyunju" in rounded characters, as if it were written with a brush dipped in glaze.

The innkeeper was a slightly plump middle-aged woman who greeted guests with a smile and quickly arranged two superior rooms when she heard that they were staying for a few days.

After settling in, Zhu Ge did not linger at the inn.

He left Liu Jianjian at the inn to watch over the carriage and luggage, and went out alone, turning into the main street from the alley in front of the inn, merging into the bustling crowds of the city.

He had no specific goal; he was just wandering aimlessly.

My gaze swept over the porcelain displayed in the shops on both sides, while my ears caught snippets of conversation among the crowd.

Most of the conversations were about porcelain prices and kiln business, with occasional comments about the Luo family of Dongting.

But the whispers were all very low, and the people speaking often lowered their voices. After they finished speaking, they would look around warily, as if the Luo family had some kind of invisible, omnipresent eye in the city.

When Zhu Ge reached a narrow alley in the western part of the city, he stopped.

Deep in the alley, there is a small shop that stands out from the surrounding decorations. Its storefront is extremely narrow, only the width of a single wooden door.

There was no sign above the door; only a simple charcoal drawing of a small fish was on the wall above the door frame.

The lines were rough, like a child's scribbles, but the outline of the fish made Zhu Ge's gaze linger slightly.

The fish's appearance vaguely overlapped with something in his memory.

He stood at the alley entrance for a few moments, then stepped inside.

The shop was much deeper inside than it appeared from the outside. Although the storefront was narrow, it was quite long, with all sorts of fishing gear hanging on the walls on both sides.

There were bamboo-woven fishing baskets, fishing nets made of hemp thread, polished wooden harpoons, and some oddly shaped tools whose purpose was unknown to the singer.

Behind a low table at the far end of the shop sat a thin old man, engrossed in winding fine silk threads around a bamboo pole.

The old man looked up and saw Zhu Ge walk in.

His cloudy eyes lingered on him for a moment, then he grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from tobacco: "What would you like to buy, sir? My fishing gear isn't cheap."

"Is there a method for cultivating the Way of the Fishermen here?" Zhu Ge asked.

Fishing route!

The fisherman in the straw raincoat's song of Dongting Lake had left a deep impression on him.

It would be great if we could learn from it.

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