Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

As Zhuang Xing listened to these continuous words, he felt an indescribable sense of peace.

He fell asleep in such tranquility that night.

The following day, the covered boat continued its journey to Xizhou.

They did not encounter any more demons or evil spirits during their journey.

The road is long, and we won't be traveling in deserted suburbs all day.

Occasionally, when they come across a ferry crossing or a place where they can dock, the boatmen will stop temporarily to buy some things and inquire about the latest news and see if there are any dangerous areas.

Before we knew it, we had been traveling on the river for four days.

On the fourth day, they finally drove out of the mountains.

Zhuang Xing turned around and saw the majestic mountains standing like blades between heaven and earth, with water, mountains and sky merging into one line.

Zhuang Xing couldn't help but sigh, "The light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains."

Everyone on the boat couldn't help but look back.

Upon seeing it, I was truly filled with emotion.

It turns out they've come a long way.

The view ahead suddenly opened up, with no mountains blocking the way anymore.

"In another half day, we'll reach the border of Xizhou," the boatman said.

As we approached the border of Xizhou, the scenery on both sides changed.

The river water merges into a narrow stream, and the boat drifts downstream, joining the estuary.

It's rare to see towering mountains like those in Pingzhou that completely block out the view anymore; at most, there are just some earthen slopes.

Soon after, I also saw families farming.

Farmers cannot live without water, so they naturally build villages along the riverbanks.

There are fewer people in Xizhou who grow wheat than in Pingzhou; they mostly grow millet.

But Zhuang Xing had already seen the stone mill, the stone mill pulled by mules, appearing on the riverbank. Some people even connected the stone mill to a waterwheel. When they stopped to rest at a ferry crossing, a woman brought over tofu, added a little salt, and sold it to the people on the boat, saying it was a specialty of Xizhou.

Zhuang Xing asked the woman when she started making tofu and how many years she had been doing it.

The woman patted her chest and said that she had been making tofu for ten years and was known as Grandma Tofu. No one in the surrounding villages had been doing it longer than her.

Zhuang Xing then asked her when she started using the stone mill, and she said she had been using it for ten years.

Zhuang Xing smiled without saying a word, never expecting that tofu would become a "specialty of Xizhou".

He still bought two pieces of tofu and shared them with Yunling.

It's also a way of reminiscing about the taste of home.

However, the taste was far inferior to the tofu at his home; it was not made with finesse, and there was still soybean residue left in the tofu.

In addition, several people disembarked at this ferry, their figures disappearing from Zhuang Xing's sight.

After this little incident, around noon, they finally arrived at a ferry crossing guarded by soldiers.

"We've reached Xizhou territory," the boatman said as he rowed the boat. "When you disembark, remember to take out your travel permits for the officers to inspect. Don't rush."

The covered boat docked, and everyone stood up.

Zhuang Xing went to fetch the horse, and only after the people in front of him had disembarked did he join the last group to get off.

The boatman looked back at the half-shell left on the deck and thought to himself that although there had been some unexpected events when he set off, he would have a great story to tell at the dinner table when he returned to Pingzhou.

This story is so convincing that you can't help but believe it. Just look at the tortoise shell, and you'll know that it's absolutely true.

Chapter 188 Tiger Sage

After disembarking, they stopped at the ferry crossing, where the officials carefully examined the travel permits of those coming and going.

When the officials inspected the special permits of Zhuang and Xing, they carefully checked the official seal of the Yidu Prefect to ensure that there were no errors and that the permits could not be faked before letting the two pass through.

Zhuang Xing noticed something: the officials in Xizhou were more serious, or rather, more meticulous, than the officials in Pingzhou.

In Pingzhou, the officials would just glance at the estate and let it pass, but when they arrived in Xizhou, they felt that the area was heavily guarded and the atmosphere was tense.

Zhuang Xing didn't think much of it at first. He figured that maybe some members of the Li family were familiar with the officials, so the officials didn't investigate as thoroughly.

But when they arrived at the post station to rest and were about to buy some dry food for the journey, Zhuang Xing asked the officials and learned that many years ago, there was a great demon in the vicinity who called himself Tiger Great Sage. He occupied a mountain, ravaged the people below the mountain, treated people like livestock, and committed all kinds of evil.

When the Great Sage Tiger was alive, all the demons and evil spirits on and off the mountain relied on him and acted as his henchmen, causing the people of Xizhou to suffer endlessly.

That's why the officials here are so strict. The minor demons and evil spirits in this area haven't been completely eliminated yet. A few years ago, many thieves heard about the chaos here and fled here, so naturally, the security is very tight.

"May I ask, sir, have any people been harmed by evil spirits recently?" Zhuang Xing asked.

“The Great Tiger is dead. What’s left are just some minor demons and evil spirits. They’re too busy hiding to dare to show themselves to people,” the official said. “Sir, you can go without worry. There’s no need to be afraid.”

The official was right. Since Zhuangxing came from the river mouth to this side, the local people have been living in peace and contentment, and there has been no sign of people being afraid to go out during the day.

However, this Tiger Great Sage reminded Zhuang Xing of the tiger spirit who almost crushed him to death when he was a child. Could that guy have run away from Xizhou to Chenzhou?

He was eager to know if this Tiger Great Sage was the same tiger spirit he knew. He asked the officer how Tiger Great Sage died and who killed him.

The official said that everyone in Xizhou knew that it was the immortal from Hundred Flowers Valley who had eliminated the tiger demon and brought blessings to the people.

But when asked how the tiger demon was eliminated, the officials could not give a clear answer and could only give a few vague replies.

It was clear that the officials had only heard about it; after all, if that tiger demon was really that powerful, probably very few people who had seen it would have survived.

Such rumors spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and eventually they become something completely different from the truth, perhaps even a hundred thousand miles away.

Zhuang Xing then stopped questioning the officials and thought that he would get the answer when he went to Hundred Flowers Valley.

Upon arriving in Xizhou, Zhuang Xing was originally going to Baihua Valley, and he still had the old Taoist's letter of introduction in his hand.

So, after resting at the post station and finding out the route, Zhuang Xing headed north along the official road towards Huacheng.

It's a 300-mile journey from the ferry crossing to Huacheng.

There are official roads along this route. Xizhou is only one prefecture away from the capital and is a vital passage separating the north and south. Since ancient times, it has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists.

Whoever controls Xizhou will gain the upper hand.

The imperial city of the previous dynasty was built within Xizhou, while the capital of Dayu was only slightly moved outside of Xizhou.

Once war breaks out, the Western Regions will be the most likely place to descend into chaos, because many people will be vying for control of the area.

That's why the roads in Xizhou are very wide and smooth; they are a major road that has been repaired by many generations.

On roads like this, Zhuang Xing and Yun Ling walked very quickly.

Their stamina far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even though they traveled and stopped frequently, and when they came across Xizhou City, they wanted to go in, explore, and taste the local delicacies, it only took them five days to reach Huacheng.

Hundred Flowers Valley is not located within Flower City; rather, Flower City is built next to Hundred Flowers Valley.

When they arrived in Huacheng, it was already afternoon. Hearing that it was still dozens of miles away, Zhuang Xing decided to stay at an inn in Huacheng for the night and visit the city the next day.

After settling the horses in, he and Yunling found a teahouse to sit down.

There are opera performances in this teahouse; this unique opera singing skill is one of the most famous things about Xizhou.

Within Huacheng, there was also a special opera troupe that trained actors; these people were collectively known as actors.

Zhuang Xing read in "Xiaochuang Youji" that the official who wrote this miscellaneous book often went to the Imperial Pear Garden in the capital to watch plays.

In the past, "you" were actually domestic slaves of nobles, who imitated other people's language and actions, and were exclusively for the entertainment of the powerful and wealthy.

Later, they gradually evolved into the actors and actresses of today, making a living by singing and acting.

The play being performed in this teahouse is a play about fighting a tiger.

It was a quiet time in the afternoon, and many people were gathered around the teahouse watching the play.

If you don't come inside to sit and drink tea while watching the play, you don't have to pay, so people with nothing else to do all come to join in the fun.

With more people, the teahouse business will naturally improve.

Zhuang Xing looked at the stage and saw that You Lian, who was dressed as a tiger, suddenly retreated backstage. Then, a four-legged tiger suddenly jumped out, obviously having been beaten out of its original form.

The tiger was played by two people, one holding the tiger's head and the other acting as the tiger's tail. Their kung fu was excellent, and their performance was very lifelike.

In the end, the tiger demon was beheaded by the immortals of Hundred Flowers Valley with willow branches, and a tiger skin was displayed to the villagers, resulting in a happy ending for everyone.

The audience cheered, and Zhuang Xing couldn't help but give them a reward of fifty coins.

He felt a sense of exhilaration as he watched the tiger's head roll off the ground.

He even calls himself the Great Sage, does he deserve it?

Zhuang Xing thought to himself, "The tiger demon's tenth seven-day mourning period has already passed."

Over the past few days, he has become increasingly convinced that Tiger Great Sage is the same tiger spirit that ran into the village and committed all sorts of evil deeds back then.

Although the versions of the story vary, they all say that the original form of the Great Sage Tiger was a giant tiger as big as a small mountain, with skin as hard as copper and iron and bones as strong as diamond, making it invulnerable to swords and spears.

It shares many similarities with the tiger spirit that Zhuang Xing had seen, including the fact that a headless tiger skin was eventually peeled off.

Could it be that Miss Yan really did chase him all the way from Xizhou to Chenzhou back then?

But Yan Huai'an is nowhere to be found in this story; all the fame and fortune belong to Baihua Valley.

He felt a bit indignant, but his guess might not be the truth, and he didn't know what the truth was. Maybe the two sides really had no connection, or maybe Yan Huai'an entrusted the people of Baihua Valley to spread the word.

Who knows?

It's getting late, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

After a day of rest at the inn, he and Yunling headed out of the city to visit the renowned Hundred Flowers Valley.

After traveling several dozen miles in less than half an hour, a giant tree came into view in the distance, its age unknown.

Chapter 189 Monkey Picking Fruit

Zhuang Xing gazed at the towering tree, a spruce tree, a common sight in Xizhou, which he had seen many of along the way.

Spruce trees are long-lived trees; if they are not cut down, they can live for hundreds or thousands of years.

Even thousand-year-old spruce trees appear small compared to the one in front of us.