Chapter 34: Peculiarities

Jie Peiling asked, "Are you referring to the three people outside?"

The Governor replied, "Precisely."

Jie Peiling gave a sheepish smile. He had seen the trio upon entering, and he thought to himself that they were truly a motley crew. It was not that he judged people by their appearance, but they were exactly as they seemed; the young boy was still discussing the nature of talismans with the Taoist.

Observing this, the Governor laughed, "I assume you have seen them, Master. In my opinion, all these so-called grandmasters and celestial masters are frauds—completely undeserving of their titles. Especially that 'Sword Immortal'—he actually asked my servant if he could borrow some silver to buy a meal. It is truly a novelty; this is the first time I have seen such charlatans try to swindle my household. My unfilial son stole fifty taels of silver, and he truly thought I didn't know. He spent it all in such a short time after leaving home; heaven knows how badly those people have fleeced him."

The government martial artist spoke up, "The sword-carrying boy and the young Taoist are unknowns, but the martial artist is not necessarily to be trifled with. His vitality is incredibly robust. Even in my years of wandering the jianghu, I haven't seen many like him. After years of sparring for the government, I suspect this man would be quite a handful."

The Governor pondered for a moment before asking Jie Peiling, "What is your assessment, Master?"

Jie Peiling shook his head and said, "I cannot tell. Looking at them on the surface, they are indeed not as miraculous as your son claims, but they must have some skill, to a greater or lesser degree."

"If you need anything, Governor, you may send someone to notify me. I shall be staying within this commandery for the time being."

The Governor said, "I will see you out."

Jie Peiling declined, "There is no need... I shall take my leave now."

Before he left, the Governor presented him with a token. Possessing this token would make things much easier within the city at times. Unable to refuse such hospitality, Jie Peiling accepted it.

Walking down the street, it was a fine day with the sun shining brightly. The alleys and thoroughfares of the commandery city were a complex web. There were few pedestrians, and most seemed to be heading toward the south of the city. It was only after intercepting a passerby that he learned why.

It turned out that an old immortal had arrived in Douyuan Commandery today. It was rumored that he possessed supernatural powers, comparable to the Taoist arts written about in books. If it were just that, it would be one thing—after all, seeing is merely seeing—but his techniques were truly unpredictable. The celestial masters in books would scatter a handful of soybeans to summon an army, but this old immortal was different: he could transform them into stunning beauties. Moreover, these summoned beauties were indistinguishable from living people, graceful and enchanting.

The old immortal was staying in a grand mansion in the south of the city. The owner of the mansion was one of the wealthiest men in the land, and upon hearing of the immortal's presence, he had pulled out all the stops, inviting almost every influential family in the city to be his guests.

To mark the occasion, he had spent a fortune to build a high platform in the park in the south of the city, which legend claimed was tall enough to reach the stars. Before nightfall, the place was illuminated with brilliant lights, sparing no expense.

If not for the token the Governor had given him, Jie Peiling would not have been able to enter the platform, let alone secure a seat in the front row. On the perimeter, he spotted the three people he had seen earlier at the Governor's mansion. Their position was poor—one could say they had no status at all—tucked away in a long corridor at the very edge of the platform. There were many people there, mostly from families of modest wealth, and there were only a few lonely stools, far from enough for everyone, with little in the way of refreshments.

Upon entering the inner sanctum, Jie Peiling saw the Governor's son, who had stolen the money. The young man was acting incredibly arrogant, clinking glasses with everyone who approached. When he caught Jie Peiling's eye, his bravado vanished instantly, and he began to tremble. Seeing Jie Peiling walking further inside, he immediately scurried toward the perimeter. In Jie Peiling’s perception, the man sat down among the trio and began pointing at those entering the inner area, whispering about them.

When Jie Peiling sensed him beginning to gossip about the sordid affairs of the prominent families, he cut off his perception; he had no interest in such matters. Continuing inward, he soon reached the central area. The wealthy people nearby, though they did not know who he was, assumed that anyone able to sit there must have extraordinary qualities, and so they greeted him one after another.

Jie Peiling responded to each with a smile. There were not many people in the inner circle, but they all seemed to know one another. On both sides stood several martial artists; though not particularly skilled, they counted as local heroes in such a place. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, chatting away, the old immortal finally emerged from a passage deep within. Because the venue was massive, it took him several minutes to reach the center. The crowd felt a flicker of disappointment—he looked no different from the fake Taoists on the streets. But suddenly, wisps of lightning rippled in his palms, followed by a swirl of mystical smoke. With a sudden gust of wind, several talismans appeared out of thin air.

Jie Peiling, having refined his essence, possessed keen eyesight. The mist could only block the vision of ordinary martial artists; to someone with his level of cultivation, it was as if it didn't exist at all. He surmised that this place was too remote for the old immortal to even bother with a proper illusion.

However, he was instantly disappointed for another reason: the quality of the talismans was extremely low, worse even than the ones he had drawn himself. They were clearly drawn haphazardly, without following any proper procedure. Yet, Jie Peiling was quite interested in the nature of the spells themselves, mainly because he only knew two such spells.

Following this, as the old immortal touched the talismans, black ink seemed to float out as if from water. The talismans transformed into beauties that drifted through the air. Four beauties soared across the vast platform, their long dresses swirling over the surface like ripples spreading from a lotus bud. Their dance skirts were wide, sleeves swaying as if caught in a spring breeze.

The people nearby were flushed with excitement, and even their chronic, long-standing injuries seemed to show signs of healing. Yet, just as the relief reached its peak, the sensation suddenly dissipated. They wanted to cry out for the performance to continue, but they knew who the man was—a high and mighty master. To shout and make a scene would be to insult his reputation. Having reached their current status, none of them were simple-minded; they possessed extreme self-control, forcing themselves to suppress the urge to beg. The performance that followed was actually quite hollow, and the crowd grew impatient, eager for it to end so they could hand over their wealth in exchange for another chance to feel the "beauty's" skirt brush against their soul.

The old immortal saw this and grew smug. His hands did not stop; he produced a small bell. As its crisp sound rang out, the ripples in the water seemed to stir within their very hearts. Gradually, a sense of drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion began to take hold of the entire assembly.