The ultimate master in the city

The minibus braked suddenly, skidding along the road for a distance before coming to a stop in front of a snowdrift. The passengers lurched forward, waking those who were asleep. The proprietress, clutching her umbrella, sat up with a bewildered expression and wiped her mouth.

Zhou Fengchen pressed down on his seat and said to Monk Yuanzhi, "You're still not happy? You've already recited Xue's name."

The monk Yuanzhi, clearly bored, said in a serious tone, "Their magical power was too great; I couldn't control it!"

At this moment, the passengers looked up and began to discuss among themselves. The driver lit a cigarette and said, "The road is blocked, we can't go any further, we have to go back to the station!"

The proprietress panicked upon hearing this and asked, "We've already driven fifty or sixty miles, how are we going to get back? Can't we take another route?"

"Yes! Yes!" the passengers echoed.

The driver said nonchalantly, "There are mountains after mountains here, there aren't that many roads. This is the widest one. The other roads are very dangerous. Someone even died in one a couple of days ago."

One passenger asked, "What if we're in a hurry to get home?"

The driver was quite arrogant, "What's the rush? Home isn't going anywhere. Just go back to the station and wait a couple of days. The roads will be open soon. Or you can take a helicopter!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cacophony of dialect burst forth, clearly indicating swearing.

The landlady gritted her teeth and said to Zhou Fengchen and his companion, "Forget it, let's get off the bus and climb over there. It's about ten miles to another town. We'll figure something out tomorrow."

Zhou Fengchen and Monk Yuanzhi exchanged a glance, then followed the landlady off the bus with their luggage. Watching the minibus slowly reverse and disappear into the heavy snow, Monk Yuanzhi asked, "Is there any need to rush? This is the middle of nowhere, far from any village or shop, and it's snowing!"

The proprietress exhaled a puff of hot air and said with a sorrowful expression, "I'm only two or three hundred li away from home. It's been three years. I long to see my husband, even if it's just a corpse!"

Zhou Fengchen shook his head. "Let's go then!"

The three of them climbed over the snowdrifts and walked forward into the wind and snow. They were a little cold when they first got out of the car, but after walking a few kilometers, they started to sweat.

The snowflakes fell thick and fast, turning the hills, valleys, and trees far and near into a blanket of white. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful, instantly uplifting one's spirits and stirring up a childlike wonder within.

Zhou Fengchen and Monk Yuanzhi started having a snowball fight as they walked, seemingly bored.

At first, Monk Yuanzhi chuckled, finding it amusing. But what level was Zhou Fengchen at? Before long, he was covered in snow, soaking wet, and immediately became enraged. "Anyone who hits me again is a coward! This is bullying!"

After walking for two hours, it was almost dark. Even the most beautiful scenery can become tiresome. With no sign of even half a town ahead, Monk Yuanzhi looked rather dejected and asked the landlady, "Are you kidding me? Didn't you say we'd reach the next town in a dozen or so miles? How many miles have we walked? My body can't take this!"

The proprietress was also a little confused. "This place is too far from my home, and I'm not very familiar with it. I remember there's a town here, but I've forgotten."

"Forgot?" Monk Yuanzhi looked at Zhou Fengchen. "That's so unreliable! We can't possibly squat in the snow all night in this heavy snow, can we?"

Zhou Fengchen looked around and said, "Don't ask me, I don't know what to do either."

The proprietress felt embarrassed, "I'm sorry to have made you suffer!"

"Forget it!" Zhou Fengchen and the other person shook their heads.

The three walked on in a daze for a while, when the monk Yuanzhi, with his sharp eyes, pointed ahead and said, "There's a small bridge over there. Let's go see where it leads."

The three of them jogged to the bridge, where they found a fork in the road leading across the river. There were a few shallow footprints on the bridge, and at the end, the outline of a town could be faintly seen.

Monk Yuanzhi burst into laughter, "The mountains and rivers seem to have no end, and the door remains unopened after a long knock. But tonight, we've found our way."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Zhou Fengchen spat, waved his hand, and said, "Let's find lodging in town tonight and set off tomorrow morning!"

The three of them crunched through the snow, having been traveling for the past few days without proper meals. They were discussing what to eat in town when a group of people came running up ahead, their breath steaming in the cold air, looking quite anxious.

Zhou Fengchen and his companions were puzzled. Behind them were towering mountains; what were these people up to? Just as they were about to step aside, an old man leading the group glanced at his old pocket watch, then led his men to a stop in front of them. Excitedly, he asked in heavily accented Mandarin, "Which one of you is Duke Zhou?"

Zhou Fengchen and the other two looked at each other, feeling completely bewildered. Who was this "Zhou Gong"? Had they mistaken him for someone else?

Monk Yuanzhi gave a wink, signaling to ignore it, so the three of them remained silent, took a detour, and continued on their way. However, the old man and his men caught up again, and Ganxiao asked, "Excuse me, did you come from the east? Did the snow collapse on the road?"

That's a bit strange. How did he know we came from the east, and how did he know the snow had collapsed on the road?

Zhou Fengchen and his companions stopped. Monk Yuanzhi frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

The old man smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Are you the Duke of Zhou (a figure associated with dreams)?"

"Duke Zhou?" Monk Yuanzhi and the landlady looked at Zhou Fengchen. "Among the three of us, you're the only one with the surname Zhou. Are we looking for you?"

"Isn't this ridiculous? Who do I know them?" Zhou Fengchen found it strange and muttered to himself. He turned to the old man and asked, "My surname is Zhou, but I'm not called Duke Zhou. There was indeed snow on the road. So what? What exactly do you mean?"

"It's you! It's you!" The old man and the group of people were overjoyed and said, "We've come to invite you."

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"Invite me?" Zhou Fengchen was taken aback. "Why would you invite me? I don't even know you."

The old man rubbed his hands together and said, "It's like this, it was... a fish that sent me here."

"Uh—" Zhou Fengchen was stunned.

Upon hearing this, Monk Yuanzhi flew into a rage. "Old men, are you all crazy? What do you mean by this? Are you looking for trouble?"

Zhou Fengchen's face also darkened.

The old man, with a mournful face, said, "I know it sounds strange, but it really was a fish that sent me here. It's a long story."

Zhou Fengchen thought for a moment, feeling something was amiss, and said, "Then just get to the point. Which fish sent you to find me?"

"Oh! It's like this..." the old man said with a bitter expression.

The town ahead is called Jiuweng Town. This area is very close to the county seat and isn't entirely mountainous. The old man's surname is Xu. He's a retired cadre from the town and his family runs a mushroom business. They're quite wealthy, richer than most city dwellers. There's a saying: "Poverty breeds cunning, wealth nurtures conscience." This means that if someone is afraid of poverty, they might develop crooked thoughts and do bad things to make a fortune. But conversely, if someone is very rich and has no ambition, they'll think about doing good deeds and accumulating merit. Old Xu's family lacks nothing, so he thought about doing some good deeds. He often repairs bridges and roads, helps the poor, and has a very good reputation in the area.

Of course, this matter has little to do with how much money he has or how good his character is; the old man is a bit long-winded. Take the other day, for example. One night, Old Man Xu dreamt of a large carp, which was crying towards him.

Old Xu found it strange and asked the big carp, "Why are you crying?"

The big carp opened and closed its mouth, and could even speak human language, saying, "Uncle Xu, please save me! I am Zhang Feng from Willow Town, thirty miles away!"

Old Xu was taken aback. He knew Zhang Feng; he was in the food processing business, owned a factory, and was a local celebrity. But how did he turn into a fish and come looking for him?

I like the novel "The Strongest Master in the City".