Translator: Myuu Editor: Myuu
Save the world from its impending doom?
Yan Liqiang’s eyes lit up as he sized up the man who looked like a daoist priest. He wasn’t sure if this person was a liar or spouting nonsense because he was trying to escape. Yan Liqiang had never even dreamed of saving the world. These people who wandered the world were usually charismatic and were able to convince others of the most ridiculous tales. Not only that, they were also great at reading minds. They always blabbered about things like the gods, the nation, and its people. They’d use all kinds of deceitful tricks to lead the ignorant ones by their noses. The scammers in his previous life were really nothing compared to these people.
Even so, he really had no clue as to why why Xu Lang would assign someone like this to set him a trap. Wasn’t he thinking too highly of Yan Liqiang?
“Do you know Xu Lang?” Yan Liqiang got straight to the point as he stared at the expression on the daoist priest’s face, looking for any signs of change in his pupils. This was a ‘little tip’ Yan Liqiang had picked up from his previous life — one would be able to tell if someone was lying through pupil dilation and subtle changes in facial expression.
The daoist priest smiled and spoke calmly. “Who is this Xu Lang you speak of? I have not met such a person. However, I caught wind of a person by that name who was injured by a hidden arrow when he was fighting with someone else on the Arena of Life and Death a few days ago in the Imperial Capital. That was quite some news!”
Through the shifting of his pupils and facial expression, Yan Liqiang realized that this daoist priest was indeed not lying. Or perhaps he should say that the daoist priest was a better liar than he had anticipated.
Yan Liqiang’s thoughts ran through his mind at lightning speed. After staring at the daoist priest for another moment, he loosened his grasp. Then he turned around to leave the alley without saying anything else.
The daoist priest was slightly surprised. He hurriedly chased after him.
Yan Liqiang paused in his tracks without even turning his head around. “Do not follow me again. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!” he warned coldly.
The footsteps behind him immediately stopped. As soon as Yan Liqiang took a few steps toward the alley’s exit, the daoist priest’s voice suddenly rang out from behind him again.
“Are you really indifferent about the catastrophe that will happen in four years?”
His words stunned Yan Liqiang as though he had been electrocuted. Yan Liqiang halted his steps and slowly turned his around to look at the daoist priest. The priest was still standing in the same spot as he watched Yan Liqiang with eyes that were as tranquil as water.
“What did you say?”
“I said, are you really indifferent about the catastrophe that will happen in four years?”
The corners of Yan Liqiang’s mouth twitched before he pointed at the priest and lashed out at him. “Is your head all messed up from eating too many pills?! You must be dreaming about this catastrophe! Do you know who I am and who I serve?! How dare you spout all this nonsense to me and try to delude people with lies! You better watch out before I arrest you and have you beheaded!”
Yan Liqiang turned around after berating the daoist priest then quickly made a beeline for the alley’s exit without even stopping.
“I live in the White Dragon Temple on Mount Xiaoyun outside the Imperial Capital. You may find me there anytime if you wish to see me!” The daoist priest called out to Yan Liqiang from behind. However, Yan Liqiang didn’t stop walking.
“A young man in green will enter the West Glorious Gate in the afternoon of the 28th, with marigolds in his hand. The Will of Heaven is indeed everchanging — a man’s world is mutable, seas become mulberry fields!”
When Yan Liqiang exited the alley, the daoist priest’s strange song drifted into his ears. Yan Liqiang turned his head around, only to realize that the daoist priest was no longer in the alley.
Yan Liqiang looked at the green clothes he was wearing today and the marigolds in his hand. Although he looked calm on the surface, his mind was already in a spectacular mess. A strange feeling welled up in him. Yan Liqiang might have been somewhat wary of the daoist priest’s words earlier, but he actually couldn’t remain calm any longer after the priest mentioned the catastrophe that would happen in four years. The first two lines of the song he sang seemed to foretell that Yan Liqiang would enter the Imperial Capital through the West Glorious Gate, dressed in green while holding marigolds. The last line —’man’s world is mutable, seas become mulberry fields’ was also somewhat questionable, because this was a poem by Chairman Mao from Yan Liqiang’s past life.
Who is this daoist priest?
How did he know about the catastrophe that will happen in four years time?
What did the things he told him today mean? The poem from Chairman Mao, is that purely coincidental or is there something deeper to it?
Countless questions emerged in Yan Liqiang’s heart, making it stir uncontrollably.
Yan Liqiang stood blankly in the street for a good while before he cleaned up his thoughts. He suppressed all the questions and worries in his heart, then took a deep breath. After getting his bearings, he made his way to the Gan Provincial Guild Hall.
…
The Gan Provincial Guild Hall was located on Qianju Street in the Imperial Capital, occupying an area of more than ten mu. It was further divided into several huge and extremely grand courtyards. Every province of the Great Han Empire had a designated guild hall in the Imperial Capital. These guild halls were like a combination of liaison offices and the chamber of commerce for their respective provinces. Any relevant officials or merchants of a certain caliber could stay in the guild hall. Not only that, the guild halls were also used to receive guests and gather various news from the Imperial Capital. For many foreigners, the guild hall of their respective provinces would be their most trusted place in the Imperial Capital.
Four guards stood outside the Gan Provincial Guild Hall. Yan Liqiang approached the entrance, looked up at the signboard, then went inside the guild hall.
The guards took a single glance at Yan Liqiang. One of them who looked like he was in his twenties took a step forward and stopped Yan Liqiang politely. “Little brother, this is the Gan Provincial Guild Hall. Please go elsewhere if you want to sell flowers!”
Yan Liqiang was a young-looking fifteen-year old boy who hadn’t reached his coming of age. He was plainly dressed and holding a bunch of marigolds, not looking particularly out of the ordinary. Yan Liqiang didn’t know whether he wanted to cry or laugh when the guards standing at the entrance actually mistook him for coming here to sell flowers.
“I am here to look for someone!” He spoke up.
As soon as Yan Liqiang opened his mouth, his familiar Gan Provincial accent stunned the guard who stopped him. His facial expression relaxed slightly. “Who are you looking for, little brother?”
“I’m looking for…” Yan Liqiang was about to finish his sentence but was unexpectedly interrupted by a familiar voice from behind. “Liqiang…”
Yan Liqiang turned his head around and saw that a gorgeous carriage had arrived at the entrance of the guild hall. Lu Peien poked his head out from the carriage’s window with a look of surprise on his face…
