CH 97.2

In the carriage, Yaoniang asked, “If we sneak away like this, will anyone notice?”

“No one will notice. They travel slowly and everything will be fine once we meet up prior to entering the capital.”

Yaoniang nodded, then wasn’t concerned over this anymore.

The carriage travelled extremely fast on the road and since the carriage was specially made, it didn’t feel bumpy at all. Since they only travelled at full speed a part of the day, then stopped to rest for the remaining part of the day, Yaoniang didn’t feel any discomfort.

They saw many different sceneries along the road and passed through many cities. Not only Yaoniang was dazzled, but Xiaobao was also the same. Both people rarely left their courtyards in their previous life.

After travelling on the road for over ten days, they arrived at the waterway and changed to travelling by boat. Originally, Jin Wang was worried that Yaoniang would be seasick, but luckily she didn’t feel any nausea at all. It took another five days of travelling by boat before they reached their destination.

Since the main procession had yet to arrive, Jin Wang and others decided to stay there temporarily so they found an inn to live in.

As the spring flowers were blooming, more and more people left the city to enjoy the scenery.

With nothing to do, Jin Wang decided to take Yaoniang out for a stroll. Yet when they were about to leave the city, they saw a large and noisy crowd. After asking, they learned that there was a Taoist temple nearby with a greatly skilled Taoist priest. Today was the opening ceremony of his preaching.

The sermon wasn’t the most attractive, after all, there were very few people who could understand. However, whenever this Taoist priest preached, on the first day, he would pick three believers for him to perform a divination for them. It was said to be very fruitful and accurate. All these people were crowding towards him in hope that they may be fortunate enough to be chosen.

Jin Wang wasn’t interested in this since he wasn’t a believer in ghosts and gods. But Yaoniang was very curious, she had yet to witness a Taoist priest performing ‘divination’.

Seeing her like this, Jin Wang could only accompany her to play. After all, today was meant for him to take her out to relax.

When they arrived outside the city, they saw a small Taoist temple that looked a little dilapidated.

Now that Buddhism was popular and Taoism wasn’t quite as much, Jin Wang wasn’t surprised to see such a scene. However, there were still many people there. Because of the limited space, people were even standing on the hillside. On the stone platform, a yin and yang fish was carved in the center, on which a Taoist priest sat cross-legged.

The sermon had already started. Except for a small circle of people around the stone platform listening attentively, most of the crowd were talking and whispering to each other. From time to time, there were even children making trouble followed by women standing up to chase after the child. Off to the side were some other children playing and messing around with each other.

It was almost like what one would expect to see at the street markets.

Jin Wang raised his eyebrows and asked Yaoniang, “You still want to go?”

Yaoniang was embarrassed. After finally making this trip, she didn’t expect to see something like this. She thought that with so many people rushing to go over, it must be because of how devoted they were. She never expected it to be like this. There wasn’t an amazing Taoist doing anything fascinating. Instead, what she saw seemed to be an amateur theatrical troupe from the countryside making a performance.

The honest Yaoniang shook her head.

Jin Wang grinned, took her hand, and was about to leave. But Xiaobao pointed his hand towards the crowd and called out, “Mother!”

Xiaobao, with Yu Chan holding him, was dressed in a set of thin indigo cotton-padded clothes matched with cotton pants and a small hat on his head. He looked to be an ordinary child of a wealthy family while Yaoniang and Jin Wang were also in regular clothes. For this trip, they appeared to be a merchant family with the master accompanying his wife out for a walk.

With the masters all dressed up in such a low-key manner, Fucheng and An Yi, who were standing to the side, were also dressed in plain clothes. In short, this group of people was not eye-catching at all. Except, the master and his wife were a bit too good-looking and caught the attention of some people, which won’t be mentioned for the time being.

“Xiaobao, what’s the matter with you?” asked Yaoniang.

But at this moment, the field suddenly became quiet. Yaoniang turned around to look, only to see that the Taoist priest on the stone platform was actually looking at them.

“Hey! Go up! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said a random person amongst the crowd.

Yaoniang was still a bit confused, but Jin Wang said to her, “Didn’t you want to witness divination in action? This isn’t quite the waste of a trip I’d thought it’d be.”

Uh…

As he was speaking, Jin Wang had already led her to the stone platform through the narrow path opened by the crowd.

When they got closer, they found that this man looked like an immortal, with a childlike face and a shiny and ruddy complexion. At least he looked the part of a master of Taoism.

“This monk, named Han Chuanzi, never expected to see three people with such strange fates here today. Since you’re a family, this old man will perform the divination for you three today.” Then he whispered a few words to the boy next to him.

The boy raised his voice and announced to the crowd that today’s three fortunes were selected. Although there were many complaints, the people still dispersed.

Han Chuanzi looked at Jin Wang with a smile on his face, and asked, “What do you ask for, benefactor?”

“There’s nothing to ask for.”

“But every man has something to ask for.”

“What I ask for is not something a mere Taoist can give.”

“True. What benefactor asks for is indeed something big and not something a poor Taoist can give.” Han Chuanzi didn’t care about Jin Wang’s attitude and said with a smile.

Only then did Jin Wang take a proper look at Han Chuanzi.

Jin Wang had seen many monks bluffing and deceiving the masses with their so-called profound Taoism. Sitting in his position, there were many coming to him under the guise of mystique and glamour, seeking nothing else but wealth and power.

Jin Wang looked at Han Chuanzi. As he scrutinized him, he didn’t think about how vast his Taoism was but wondered if he had somehow learned his true identity.

His gaze was sharp and piercing. After taking another look at Han Chuanzi, he lowered his head and said to Yaoniang, “Are you hungry? It should be time for lunch.”

With that, he led Yaoniang away. Their posture seemed nothing out of ordinary at first glance. But if someone who knew martial arts were to see them, they would recognize that he was protecting the woman in his arms as if she was a priceless treasure. Any attack would be blocked instantly.

An Yi walked towards Yu Chan’s right while Fucheng was on her left.

After walking a short distance, a voice sounded, but the wind was too strong, so the voice was carried away.

Yaoniang asked curiously, “That person seemed to have said something. Did you hear it?”

Jin Wang shook his head, “He’s just a scamming Taoist.”