"Do you know why those three villains were looking for you?"
Bai Yichen probed.
"This… how would I know? My lady usually stays in her boudoir, rarely coming out; how could she have enmity with anyone?"
The old servant replied with a wry smile.
"Uncle Sun, do you think it could be that woman?"
Miss Zhang, who seemed to have regained her composure after taking the medicine, interjected.
"Lady, are you referring to the second madam? How could that be?"
Uncle Sun looked shocked and fell into thought.
Miss Zhang said firmly, "It must be because of the quota for my aunt's letter regarding Yukun Mountain!"
Soon, Bai Yichen learned from the two about the background of this matter.
It turned out that not long ago, Daoist Mo Mei had sent a letter asking them to prepare some gifts for the 80th birthday of Qing Song Daoist and that they could take one or two people up the mountain as an opportunity.
It was customary for major sects to have requirements when recruiting disciples; they wouldn't easily accept anyone.
As Yukun Mountain was a top-tier sect, it was even more so, as age, qualifications, and background had to be confirmed one by one.
However, these one or two people couldn't all be the family head's children.
Otherwise, it would undoubtedly lead to family disputes; if someone reported this to Daoist Mo Mei, it would surely cause trouble.
Thus, it buried the root of the disaster.
This Miss Zhang was the daughter of the former lady of the Zhang family, but that lady had since died.
Now, the one in charge of the rear court was the second madam, who had a son and a daughter and wanted to push out Zhang Feiyan to send another Miss Zhang in her place.
"Absolutely! My aunt even held me when I was a child and gave me my name; the bond is stronger, how could she be compared to that person?"
Zhang Feiyan said indignantly.
From the descriptions, Bai Yichen roughly guessed the cause and development of the matter, and Heishi's goal was likely Yukun Mountain?
That was truly a top-tier sect, with Innate masters far surpassing other sects and plenty of Acquired Perfected individuals as well.
But what was Heishi planning to do?
Forget it, he wasn't from Yukun Mountain, so it was better to take care of himself first.
At most, he would remind Daoist Mo Mei about it in the future.
"Alright, I have a few more questions for you."
Then Bai Yichen asked several questions regarding the geography of Jiangzhou.
The old servant, Uncle Sun, had lived in Jiangzhou for many years and was quite knowledgeable, managing to answer all of them.
Hearing this, Bai Yichen nodded in satisfaction. Combining it with the location of the opportunity buried in his memory from his previous life, there weren't many changes, perhaps due to the continued existence of the Xia Dynasty.
Seeing this, Uncle Sun advised,
"If the Daoist wishes to learn more about Jiangzhou's geography, please allow us to return to Zhang Manor. My master has always respected Daoism. Since you are from Xuan Zhen Temple, and you saved our young lady, he will surely show his gratitude."
However, Bai Yichen seemed unmoved.
Uncle Sun quickly added,
"Our young lady is indeed very likely to be chosen to serve the Daoist nun in the mountains. This way, it would also strengthen the friendship between Yukun Mountain and Xuan Zhen Temple."
Zhang Feiyan gazed at him, her eyes appearing somewhat pitiful under the campfire in the dilapidated temple.
At this moment, only the sound of leaves gently swaying in the breeze after the rain could be heard, creating a rustling noise. It seemed as if everyone was waiting for a response.
Bai Yichen chuckled, casting a half-smile at them, and nodded slightly.
Zhang Feiyan and Sun Bo immediately beamed with joy upon seeing this.
If it were an ordinary, inexperienced youth just stepping into the world, they would have readily agreed to the plea of these frail women late at night.
But he was not someone who would be easily swayed by appearances. With his vast experiences across different lives, he had encountered many kinds of human nature.
Moreover, ever since he had entered the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method and reached the stage of cultivating his Essence Qi, his keen perception—already heightened by the reincarnation seeds—had become even more pronounced.
The words and actions, every movement and change in expression of these individuals were all within his observation.
Perhaps with further practice, he could achieve the intuition of "the cicada sensing the autumn breeze before it stirs."
Bai Yichen could certainly perceive the slight intent of manipulation harbored by these two.
After all, with his superior martial skills and being from the prominent Xuan Zhen Guan, he was indeed a figure they could leverage for their advantage.
However, there was still some connection between them. If it worked out, it would also count as a favor owed to him, so taking a trip along with them wouldn't hurt.
Naturally, he was too lazy to engage in much conversation with them, simply instructing Sun Bo to follow him, then he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began his practice of Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement, contemplating the Yellow Court Stance.
...
The sky gradually transformed from dark black to the dawn's light gray.
As the morning light broke, the moisture in the mountain forest was abundant. After being washed by the rain, the leaves appeared more lush and vibrant, carrying the fragrance of wet earth.
After the summer storm, the dawn brought a picturesque scene of meadows and forests, with dewdrops glistening on the tender green leaves, resembling a fresh and vivid painting.
Birds chirped joyfully, celebrating the refreshing tranquility after the rain. Only a freshly turned earth mound beside the dilapidated temple seemed to tell the story of the fierce thunderstorm from last night.
In the distance, the town appeared hazy in the morning light, and soon the three entered the city without incident.
Most of the pedestrians on the streets looked gaunt and wore tattered clothes.
Numerous beggars were seen begging along the streets.
Among them was a little beggar, looking no older than ten, kneeling beside a corpse.
It seemed he was asking for burial fees for the body next to him.
"Please, kind sirs and madams, show some mercy!"
Several well-dressed gentlemen and ladies nearby, seeing the child, couldn't help but feel some compassion and dropped a few coins.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, madam! If you have a son, he will definitely become a top scholar! If you have a daughter, she will surely become a noble lady!"
The little beggar knocked his head repeatedly while saying auspicious words.
The gentlemen and ladies were quite pleased to hear this.
As Bai Yichen passed by and witnessed this scene, he couldn't help but glance at the little beggar and the corpse several times.
Then he smiled and tossed a piece of silver.
Clink!
It landed perfectly in the little beggar's bowl without missing a beat.
Zhang Feiyan naturally saw this and assumed the Taoist had developed a good nature, prompting her to urge Sun Bo to give some alms as well.
Upon hearing the sound, the little beggar, with his keen ears and eyes, looked over eagerly, followed by another stream of flattering words.
"This kid knows how to talk! Who's going to support all these red caps and phoenix crowns?"
A passing traveling merchant scoffed.
"I will support them! I will!" the little beggar hurriedly replied.
Those watching the scene couldn't help but burst into laughter.
At that moment, someone accidentally stepped on the corpse's ankle.
"Ah!"
A sharp scream pierced the air, startling everyone nearby into taking three steps back.
The little beggar, realizing his scheme had been exposed, quickly grabbed the money collected from the supposedly dead body and fled as the crowd retreated.
"This... was actually a scam. It's a good thing Sun Bo didn't give him any money."
Zhang Feiyan covered her mouth in surprise.
Bai Yichen had seen through it from the start, but he didn't bother to point it out.
After all, the world was harsh, and it wasn't easy for these poor people to earn a little money. He didn't want to interfere with their petty thievery.
Furthermore, he noticed some "admirable qualities" in the two of them.
The little beggar was quite clever, even knowing how to have his companion pretend to be a corpse, and his acting skills were quite remarkable.
If he were still in the Heishi back in the day, he would definitely have taken this kid under his wing.
As the farce came to an end, Bai Yichen signaled Sun Bo with his eyes to continue leading the way.