Chapter Thirty-Four: Threading the Rope

Page 1 of 3

Golden waves of wheat rolled one after another, like ripples spreading across the surface of water. Chen Jiu bent low in the midst of the fields, searching with great care. To a passerby, he might have seemed nothing more than a tenant farmer at work.

Relying on the spiritual imprint he had placed upon five soybeans he’d planted, Chen Jiu spent considerable effort before finally finding them. Once he had also retrieved his flying sword, he quietly left the wheat field, heading toward a more crowded place to confuse the tracking efforts of the men in black robes.

The small town near Jingyang Ridge was called Changshan. Here, the wheat trade and transportation converged, and throngs of people bustled about. Arriving in town, Chen Jiu remained vigilant at every moment. Even when an old farmer passed by, his face wrapped in cloth, Chen Jiu could not help but tense.

The pressure exerted by those two black-robed figures was immense, and it seemed they would not rest until they had killed him.

At the same time, Chen Jiu had come to learn something important: the local bureaus in each county, the so-called Public Peace Offices, were not closely connected, behaving more like powerful local gentry guarding their own domains, unwilling to let outsiders share in their power or profits.

That was the reason they had not chosen to raze the wheat field where he’d hidden on the night of the pursuit.

As it is often said, the most dangerous place is also the safest.

Chen Jiu decided to pay a visit to the Ascendant’s Pavilion in the county seat.

The Ascendant’s Pavilion was operated by the Public Peace Office, set up in every populous county as a place to serve cultivators. He intended to see if he could purchase a Concealment Talisman there, and perhaps also gather information about the black-robed men.

After all, the assassins hired by the Pavilion’s master were unlikely to be mere nameless thugs from the underworld.

So, heading to the county seat seemed the wisest course.

However, this journey presented Chen Jiu with a practical dilemma: he was penniless and could not afford a carriage.

To walk to the county seat would not only risk his Concealment Talisman expiring and exposing him to pursuit, it would take more time than he could afford.

Clearly, he needed to earn some money—quickly.

Though he carried a longevity coin, the only place to exchange it was in the county seat itself. Thus, he had no choice but to find some work to make a little cash.

The street was bustling—vendors hawked their wares, laughter rang out, and children played noisily everywhere. Chen Jiu’s sharp gaze roamed in search of any temporary work he might do.

Though as a wandering priest he could have offered his usual services for extra coin, these were extraordinary times; he did not wish to reveal his true identity. He had abandoned his Daoist robe, donned a plain blue shirt, tied his hair casually with a wooden pin, and left the An family estate.

As he scouted for opportunity, a lively commotion by the roadside caught his attention.

A large crowd had gathered—men and women, old and young—all watching a peddler in the center as he performed his patter.

Page 2 of 3

“Don’t miss out, ladies and gentlemen! Take a look at what I hold in my hand!” the peddler cried.

Chen Jiu’s interest was piqued, and he looked closer. The vendor held a round object, no bigger than a thumb, with a tiny hole at either end, each no larger than a sesame seed. Its purpose was unclear.

“There are holes at both ends of this sphere, with a winding path inside. Whoever can thread this fine string through it and string the sphere, I’ll reward with ten taels of silver!” the peddler shouted, his voice brimming with confidence.

A voice from the crowd asked, “Can anyone try? Any method allowed?”

The peddler laughed slyly. “Pay fifty copper coins and you can try once. But you mustn’t break the sphere, nor use any magic or tricks.”

The crowd erupted at this.

“You call that a fine string? It’s thicker than the hole! How could anyone get it through?”

“Exactly, and the hole isn’t even straight! How’s it supposed to go through a curve?”

“A complete scam, that’s what it is!”

The peddler, slightly red-faced at the jeers, raised his voice, “Fine! I’ll add five more taels—succeed, and I’ll give you fifteen taels of pure silver!”

Rich rewards breed boldness...

Though the prize had increased, inwardly the peddler was delighted. He had performed this act in countless towns: as long as he barred spell-wielding cultivators, his victory was almost assured. He had made much more than fifteen taels from this trick.

Chen Jiu stared at the sphere, thinking. Suddenly, he caught sight of something scurrying quickly along the ground, and his eyes gleamed.

He had it! He knew how to thread the string.

But alas, he lacked the fifty coins to enter, and felt a surge of frustration.

While he was racking his brains for a solution, someone beside him spoke in a low voice:

“Sir, your complexion is healthy and your eyes shine with intelligence. I reckon you have a way to solve this puzzle?”

Startled, Chen Jiu turned to look. The speaker was a young man, about thirty, dressed in a jade-colored robe, with striking features and an air of vigor.

Chen Jiu’s gaze flickered. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “May I ask your intention?”

The man in jade smiled, watching as eager contestants handed over their coins and failed, one after another. “I simply wish to know how one might solve this riddle. If you can enlighten me, I’ll pay your entry fee—and, win or lose, I’ll give you a bonus.”

Chen Jiu wondered if he’d met a spendthrift or a nouveau riche. Judging by the man’s fine attire, he didn’t seem one to make empty boasts. Chen Jiu nodded. “Might you have something to eat?”

Page 3 of 3

The man in jade raised an eyebrow, bemused. “Something to eat? Are you hungry?”

Chen Jiu smiled without answering, only extending his hand. “With food, I can get the string through.”

The man in jade studied Chen Jiu, then shrugged. “Very well, I’ll trust you this once. Fifty coins is a small price to pay.”

He drew a pastry wrapped in oiled paper from his sleeve.

Chen Jiu accepted the pastry and the fifty coins, and stepped into the ring.

By now, more than a dozen people had tried and failed to pass the string through the sphere.

The peddler inwardly grinned—his money-making scheme was as reliable as ever. The same old trick, and it worked in every town.

He himself had never managed to thread the sphere, not even once...

“Anyone else care to try their luck?” he called, seeing the crowd thinning and thinking it was nearly time to pack up—no fool would keep coming to lose their money.

But when he saw a young man in blue approaching, his frozen smile blossomed anew.

“Hoho, good sir, care to give it a go?”

Chen Jiu nodded, handing over the coins.

Those who’d been about to leave stopped to watch—another fool paying to try his luck.

“Why would anyone else bother?” someone muttered.

“Too much money to spare, clearly.”

“Let this be a lesson...”

The man in jade mingled with the crowd, watching Chen Jiu in his plain blue, and smiled. Fifty coins was a small sum—at worst, he’d have a little amusement.

He had never truly believed that Chen Jiu could do it.

The peddler beamed as he handed Chen Jiu the sphere and the string. “Sir, the stage is yours.”

Chen Jiu took them, examining them closely. Indeed, the string was slightly thicker than the hole, and one could not see straight through from end to end—clearly, the passage within was winding.

By ordinary means, it would be impossible to pass the string through. But as they say, a mountain hermit always has a clever trick up his sleeve...