Chapter 7: Interrogation
This unknown small town didn’t require a travel permit, and Grandpa Ling said they couldn’t stay at an inn.
With their poor appearance, staying at an inn would indicate they had money, making them easy targets for covetous eyes.
After buying necessities in town, they could borrow lodging at a temple or Taoist temple, only needing to offer a few coins for incense.
Jinsui strongly agreed; she simply didn’t understand these things and had lost the Big Green Donkey by directly checking into an inn.
Grandpa Ling was also very experienced when buying things. Not only was he good at bargaining, but he could also speak the local dialects of various regions in the Central Plains, pretending to be a local.
Following him around town for half a day, they spent less than one tael of silver to buy all the things they needed. Jinsui secretly gave her grandfather several thumbs-ups.
She was completely convinced that her grandfather was an old hand at navigating the Jianghu.
As for why they were robbed by bandits, it could only be bad luck.
During this time, she discovered that her laboratory allowed entry once every hour, for ten minutes each time.
The potatoes had recovered to six, and anything she carried with her could be placed inside the laboratory.
The difference was that items taken inside, once used, would not be restored; it could only be used as a storage space.
Even so, it greatly facilitated her travels! Especially food, which wouldn’t spoil when stored inside.
Heavy items didn’t need to be carried all the time, but the restriction of entering once an hour was truly inconvenient, and she also feared Grandpa Ling would notice something.
She didn’t put the purchased items inside for the time being; with her and her grandfather each carrying a bundle, they were packed.
After changing into Taoist child’s clothes, she asked for directions and, with Grandpa Ling, walked for half a day to an old Taoist temple.
Grandpa Ling mysteriously said, “Grandpa has a way to get you a Certificate of Conversion.”
Ling JinSui was greatly surprised. Did Grandpa Ling have great prestige among Taoists? Could it be that she had relatives like Celestial Masters in her family?
She asked curiously, “What way?”
Grandpa Ling proudly stroked his goatee and gave an answer that left Jinsui speechless:
“Buy it with money!”
Jinsui: “…Buying a fake certificate?”
Grandpa Ling said earnestly, “How is it fake? The Taoist temple issues it, and you are a Taoist child, so it’s real.”
Seeing Jinsui’s expression becoming increasingly speechless, Grandpa Ling then chuckled in a low voice:
“Don’t go to a Great State City; small places don’t have people who are too particular about verification.”
Jinsui quickly asked, “Did you get your certificate the same way?”
Grandpa Ling didn’t like hearing that. He glared at her, “You child, your grandfather is a genuine Taoist!”
Jinsui suppressed a smile, finding it truly interesting to travel with such an amusing grandfather.
Grandpa Ling was also good at bargaining for fake certificates, negotiating from two taels of silver down to one tael and six qian. Additionally, he gave the old Taoist a few flatbreads and asked for a stack of Taoist talismans.
He also gave over ten copper coins, stayed overnight at the Taoist temple, took a bath, ate hot noodle soup, and washed his clothes.
Grandpa Ling also picked up a whisk from the Taoist temple and made a banner himself, writing ‘Amazing Calculations’ on it.
Jinsui carried the banner, which made her feel very guilty: “Grandpa, what if someone actually asks you for fortune telling?”
Grandpa Ling chuckled in a low voice:
“I’ll do it! If it’s not accurate, you don’t pay. Our journey is still long; we can’t just eat away at our savings.
Besides, it would be strange for a Taoist traveling the Jianghu not to tell fortunes.”
Jinsui’s heart trembled. What kind of people were in this Jianghu?
She warned, “Don’t give patients any talisman water to drink randomly. If they really need to drink it, make sure I prepare it.”
If absolutely necessary, she would add some antibiotics to the talisman water.
Grandpa Ling laughed heartily, “Don’t worry, we only tell fortunes, we don’t treat illnesses.”
When they set off again, the grandfather and granddaughter had become bona fide Taoists.
Jinsui clutched the Certificate of Conversion in her arms. Anyone who dared to question them, she would shove the certificate in their face.
Grandpa Ling had her recite the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi, in case they encountered someone who was too particular and she would avoid embarrassment.
He also taught her how to walk like a man and chatted with her about interesting anecdotes from his youth traveling the Jianghu.
Although they were still rushing on their journey, the situation was much better compared to when she was alone.
Jinsui felt that traveling with such a grandfather, she would be willing to go to the ends of the earth.
When passing through a checkpoint, the common people formed a long queue. Jinsui stayed close to Grandpa Ling, trying her best to avoid speaking.
She saw several constables holding portraits, comparing them one by one, and questioning people.
The grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a look, their hearts sinking. Were they being arrested?
Jinsui gave a glance towards the nearby forest. Grandpa Ling looked at the soldiers and subtly shook his head.
With so many soldiers, escape was impossible.
The two skillfully weaved through the crowd, effectively allowing those behind them to move to the front. In a short while, they reached the rear of the line.
Before the two could think of a way to escape, they saw a soldier on horseback holding a portrait approach the very back. The two immediately dared not move.
The soldier looked at Grandpa Ling, then at Jinsui.
In just a few breaths, it felt like a year to the grandfather and granddaughter.
Jinsui was ready to enter the laboratory to find a usable weapon and escape with Grandpa Ling.
Unexpectedly, the soldier only glanced at them twice without any suspicion and then moved on to others.
Both the grandfather and granddaughter breathed a sigh of relief, but not knowing who the person in the portrait was, they remained uneasy.
When passing through the checkpoint, the soldier merely glanced at their Certificates of Conversion and then proactively showed them the portrait:
“Have you seen this man along the way?”
Although the portrait’s lines were rough and the eyes were beautiful phoenix eyes, Jinsui recognized him at once as the man they had rescued from the reed bed the day before yesterday.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the constables behind them were chasing this man?
She thought to herself, a county magistrate’s daughter wouldn’t warrant such a large-scale pursuit.
Grandpa Ling reacted extremely quickly, showing no surprise, and shook his head, “This old Taoist has not seen him.”
Jinsui quickly shook her head, appearing timid and afraid to speak to the soldiers.
The soldier didn’t suspect anything and waved them on, signaling them to leave quickly.
They didn’t look back until they were three li away, and only then dared to speak in low voices. Grandpa Ling sighed:
“You were right.”
Jinsui asked in surprise, “I said what?”
“One shouldn’t save men by the roadside! If we had truly taken him with us, that would have been trouble,” Grandpa Ling lamented.
Jinsui chuckled softly, and at the same time, she felt a pang of regret. That man was indeed a troublesome character. She wondered if he had survived.
After they were far from the checkpoint, the people who had passed through the checkpoint began to discuss loudly.
Some said the man was a bandit and murderer who had taken several lives.
Some said he was a flower thief, and others said he was a bandit.
There were all sorts of rumors, and the more this was the case, the less credible Jinsui found it.
The constables and soldiers were all pursuing him, yet they hadn’t even announced what crime he committed, nor had they written his name. This troublesome character was quite mysterious.
The grandfather and granddaughter quickly put the troublesome, mysterious man out of their minds, relieved that the constables were not chasing Jinsui.
However, they still couldn’t let their guard down; it would be good to reach Jiangnan quickly.
Upon reaching the ferry crossing, the grandfather and granddaughter sat at a thatched tea stall by the ferry, spending five copper coins for a pot of tea and four flatbreads.
Grandpa Ling used his eloquence to chat with the shopkeeper and other customers, hoping to gather information about Jiangnan and Chang’an.
He didn’t dare to directly ask about Father Ling’s case, but he guessed that people in this small place wouldn’t have heard of it.
The death of a minor county magistrate was like dropping a small pebble into a river; it wouldn’t cause even a ripple, and besides his close relatives, no one cared.
Upon hearing that two Taoists were going to Jiangnan, the shopkeeper quickly said:
“Then you won’t be able to go for now. Luocheng has a flood, and boats heading to Jiangnan have been suspended.”
