The Blade-Wielding Legend-Chapter 1249 - 652: Jingyang Ridge Fair (Part 2)

The relationship between the two is somewhat strange now.

Speaking of close, they've never really crossed that line.

But speaking of ordinary, Long Yan'er now cares most about Sha Lifei.

Just then, the old steward, Chen Fu, came over, and Sha Lifei asked with a smile, "Uncle Fu, could I trouble you to find out if there are any interesting places near Zhangqiu Town?"

The old steward Chen Fu smiled slightly, "Hero Sha, you asked the right person. I grew up in Zhangqiu Town, familiar with every grass and tree here. You all have seen the world, and may not be interested in country things. However, there are two places worth seeing."

"One is Jingyang Ridge, where the hills rise and fall, the grass is dense, the forests are lush, and there are few people, often with wild beasts around. After the story of Wu Song fighting the tiger spread, many people from the pugilistic world came to pay their respects and incidentally hunt wild beasts."

"At the foot of the mountain, there is a Jingyang Ridge Inn, which belongs to my master's senior brother, selling strong liquor that you can't get enough of, and the wild game is a specialty. They often hire performance troupes to perform Water Margin plays, making it very lively."

"The other one is the Immortal Tomb."

"Immortal Tomb?"

Wang Daoxuan's interest was piqued, "Which of the lower Eight Immortals is it?"

The Eight Immortals are divided into the "Upper Eight Immortals" and the "Lower Eight Immortals."

The "Upper Eight Immortals" are Lu Dongbin, Zhang Guolao, and others. In the true history of the Mystical Sect, they might have known each other, were friends, but did not call themselves the Eight Immortals. Later generations unified them, symbolizing "rich and poor, noble and humble, male and female, old and young."

And the "Lower Eight Immortals" are also known as the Lower Cave Eight Immortals.

There are various folk sayings, and the people are not uniform, with different local legends.

The version Wang Daoxuan referred to, includes Wang Qiao, Chen Qi, Xu Shenweng, Liu Ling, Chen Tuan, Bi Zhuo, Ren Fengzi, Liu Haichan, originating from the drama "Celebrating Longevity with Many Immortals."

Wang Qiao playing the sheng, Liu Ling playing the zither, Chen Qi performing tricks, Xu Shenweng dancing with a broom, Bi Zhuo singing, Liu Haichan manipulating gold threads, Ren Fengzi performing magic, and Chen Tuan writing calligraphy, each representing one of the eight wishes for longevity.

This was something later generations forcibly related, with some even not being from the same dynasty.

The old steward Chen Fu shook his head, "I don't know either. Our side's Ren Fengzi is 'madness' mad."

"That man was a Daoist fifty years ago, named Shan, with the nickname Xibei, known as the Qingling Taoist, originally from Fan County. His appearance was unusual. He was eccentric and mad, like a living incarnation of Ji Gong, often wandering the streets of Zhangqiu Town talking nonsense, but he loved standing up for justice."

"Whenever a passenger boat docked, he would go up and ask for cloth. If passersby gave it to him, he would immediately tear it into pieces to distribute to the poor around him."

"My father said, in his early years, he worked as a helper in a tavern and accidentally met a brilliant person who taught him the Immortal Technique. After mastering this, he could go without food for ten days, wore only single clothes in the dead of winter, and predicted fortune and misfortune with perfect accuracy. Whenever someone had bad luck or encountered unclean things in the water, finding Ren Fengzi and touching his head would immediately make things better."

"Later, it was said that he ascended to immortality in the Hui Temple by the Wuyi Mountain on the east bank, many then called him 'Immortal Ren'."

"The locals, moved by his charity, built a temple on the mountain for him."

"It's quite peaceful over there, with only an old temple priest guarding it, might be of interest to you all."

He said these things, clearly knowing they were part of the Mystical Sect.

Wang Daoxuan didn't mind, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, "Zhangqiu is a canal hub, bustling and lively, with a City God Temple, and I suppose many people from the Mystical Sect have already visited, so I won't join in the excitement."

He was interested mainly because of Li Yan.

They all knew the benefits of capturing yin criminals.

Every time they reached a place, they would help Li Yan inquire around.

In this situation, it didn't seem like there was a yin criminal present.

"Alright then."

Sha Lifei laughed, "You stay here to assist Brother Yan, we'll return by evening."

The old steward Chen Fu immediately spoke up, "I'll call a few brothers from the Cao Gang to guide you."

Wang Daoxuan happily agreed.

Sha Lifei and his companions, generally could solve common problems.

With the Cao Gang accompanying, no one would dare to provoke them.

Soon enough, they packed their things and left with the Cao Gang disciples.

And Wang Daoxuan turned back to his room to continue reading.

He was originally obsessed with various mystical books, came from Guanzhong, and in places like Wudang and Qingcheng, he had many copied, filling two large boxes with books, enough to read for a long time...

...

Departing from the street where the Chen Mansion was located, a lively atmosphere greeted them. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It was morning, the weather was clear and sunny, the early spring sunlight was warm.

On the stone road next to the Canal Wharf, Cao boats went back and forth like shuttles, and the warehouses and shops stood in a row.

Street signs flapped in the wind, and the steaming hot air carried Shandong and Henan flavors with its aroma.

Sweet and sour Yellow River carp sizzled in the iron pot, caramel-colored sauce gleaming with oil...

A wooden spoon stirred the spicy soup at the hot and spicy soup stall, mixing wheat gluten with spices, a thick broth rising in white steam...

Beside the oven baking Luohan cakes, the helper took out sesame scorched pancakes, their sweet aroma attracting children...

There were also the freshness of lamb stewed noodles, the crispness of hanging roasted cakes, the golden-brown honey color of fried scattered rice cakes, weaving a tapestry of street market atmosphere.

Wu Ba's stomach was back in business.

As they walked along, he ate and took things, never stopping.

Just as Chen San said, Zhangqiu Town's streets were all named after the goods sold there.

For example, Fabric Street, where the entire street was filled with fabrics and silks from the north and south.

"The Spiritual Treasures within the market are more hidden."

Zhao Lvzi walked while whispering, "The so-called old objects becoming spirits, those used for a hundred years, often exposed to human presence, and undergoing special events, are most likely to transform into Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures."

"I've seen oilcake scooping baskets used for a century, once ignited, no evil dares approach."

"There's also a shop's signboard, due to its age and fortuitously being over a Feng Shui Array, became a rare town object. But the market has many sharp-eyed people, who, once spotting them, take them away in advance, so it often depends on luck..."

In fact, this was indeed the case.

The group wandered around the streets of the ancient Zhangqiu Town one by one, and Zhao Lvzi simply shook his head, "This place hasn't been prosperous for long, there are few hundred-year-old stores, and those goods are all Mortals."

Sighing, he said, "Treasure concealing relies on luck alone."

"Sometimes, even if you find good things, you have to wait for the right time, place, and person to acquire them, otherwise when the treasure's spiritual charm dissipates, it becomes just like an ordinary object, such hard attempts rarely work."

Sha Lifei, after hearing this, was not disappointed.

Wu Ba was eating with oil running down his mouth, squinting his eyes.

Long Yan'er practiced Gu Technique, didn't use cosmetics, but procured some fabric she fancied and asked others to make clothes; she was full of smiles and in a good mood.

All the companions were happy, making the trip worthwhile.

Thinking of this, Sha Lifei looked at the nearby Cao Gang disciple.

"Friend, is Jingyang Ridge fun?"

"Of course."

The Cao Gang disciple dared not neglect, quickly patting his chest and said, "You all came at a good time today. They're having a fair at the Jingyang Ridge Inn, with folks from ten miles around attending."

"Even Jianghu Artists from Zhangqiu Town have gone over."

"That's great! Let's go then."

Sha Lifei laughed and led everyone to the Carriage Shop to rent some horses, heading towards Jingyang Ridge.

Jingyang Ridge wasn't far from Zhangqiu, about an hour's ride on horseback.

After dismounting, they indeed found it very lively in the distance.

Below the undulating hills, there were several sizable inns.

The flag for "Three Bowls of Wine on the Ridge" hung high, with at least forty market stalls.

Besides that, there were quite a few Jianghu Artists.

In the central open space of the fair, acrobats from Konglou were performing bare-chested, balancing a large porcelain jar, winning rounds of applause.

A group of young men were somersaulting and climbing high poles, like monkeys walking on ropes, showcasing Liaocheng's acrobatic village's unique skills.

In the storytelling tent, an elderly man with white hair snapped a wake-wood, loudly reciting the segment from Water Margin about "Jumping into the Xunyang River," earning applause; the copper gong sounded crisply, and a group of performers stirred a three-string, singing "The Winds Rise on Jingyang Ridge."

"Haha, truly lively."

Sha Lifei laughed and prepared to take everyone to stroll around the fair.

But at that very moment, a commotion suddenly arose from afar.

Several hunters, covered in blood, came running down the mountain, all in a state of panic.

"Quick, call the owner, there's a tiger demon on the mountain!"