Chapter 232: This Is Not an Ordinary Blind Man

The Capital Prefecture is situated on the west bank of the Tongtian River in the Tongzhou basin. It’s essentially nestled in a corner of Tongzhou territory, leading to Tongzhou being jocularly referred to as a “Directly Administered Prefecture” during the Daizhen Dynasty. While the Daizhen imperial court never officially endorsed this designation, it was, in practice, largely accurate.

One day, in Changle, the prefectural city of Tongzhou, constables were seen rushing to the yamen gates, city gates, and even the public notice boards in bustling streets. The Tianyue Grand Restaurant on the street was one of the most famous in the city. Surrounded by numerous shops, including but not limited to eateries, tea houses, cloth merchants, and general stores, the street was extremely prosperous, making it one of Changle Prefecture’s most bustling thoroughfares.

It was close to mealtime, and the area around the grand restaurant was bustling with people. Some beggars sat in a corner opposite the restaurant, waiting for alms from kind-hearted individuals. As the sun was scorching, beggars couldn’t seek shelter in abandoned temples or under bridges during the day to beg. In such an area, even a small patch of shade in a corner became a luxurious resting spot. However, seven or eight beggars of various ages willingly endured the harsh sun, using tattered cloths, broken fans, or umbrellas for shade. A small patch of shade in the corner was occupied by an old beggar curled up and sleeping, emitting snores.

“Get out of the way... move, don’t block the path!”

Several constables with sabers strode from a distance. Two led the way, while the two behind them carried a large roll of yellow cloth and a bucket respectively.

“Move, move, I’m talking to you! Don’t block the notice board!”

The two leading constables walked up, gently but firmly kicking the drowsy beggars a few times to make them move aside. They glanced at the group in the other corner, frowned slightly, but didn’t pay them much heed, addressing the two behind them.

“Just post it here.”

The constable holding the bucket nodded and stepped forward. He took a brush from the bucket, stirred the paste a few times, and then applied it back and forth on the wall. Some beggars nearby watched the constable’s bucket, repeatedly swallowing. They knew the paste was made from boiled rice gruel and was edible.

“All right, post it.”

The constables at the back began to unroll the yellow cloth, while two colleagues quickly helped pull the corners. The three then worked together to stick the top corners of the yellow cloth to the wall, gradually pressing it down as it unrolled until the entire large yellow cloth was affixed to the notice board.

Observing the constables’ actions, many passersby, commoners, and more elegantly dressed wealthy merchants stopped to watch from the periphery.

“Oh, this notice has a yellow cloth background! It’s a yellow proclamation!”

“Yes, has something major happened in the capital?”“We’ll know what it says in a moment.”

“It’s almost fully posted... Is this a call for talented individuals?”

After posting the notice, the constables looked around but offered no further explanation, simply leaving with their supplies. The onlookers gathered closer, and an elderly man, looking at the proclamation, read it aloud word by word.

“Imperial Edict to the World: My Great Daizhen has stood for two hundred years. Now, in this age of prosperity, all within the realm are submissive, and the nation enjoys peace and its people contentment. In the autumn of the Yi-You year, His Majesty’s birthday...”

The elder read, stroking his beard, occasionally pausing to arrange the subsequent words for smoother delivery.

“...Therefore, this edict is specially issued, summoning highly virtuous individuals from across the land to partake in this grand event. At the gathering of the ‘Nine Heavens and Ten Assemblies,’ auspicious immortal connections and wondrous methods shall converge, celebrating Daizhen and hailing the Son of Heaven!”

After the elder finished reading, it took a few breaths before the discussions around him began.

“Is an Immortal Dao convention going to be held?”

“No, didn’t you see what the yellow proclamation said? It’s a Grand Water-Land Ceremony.”

“The capital will be lively now! Who knows, real immortals might even show up!”

“Exactly! If there are really immortals, shouldn’t we go see? What if an immortal takes a liking to me and teaches me immortal techniques?”

“Dream on, with that pig-head look of yours!”“What’s wrong with being ugly? Do immortals judge by appearance?”

“That ‘Heavenly Master’ title sounds so impressive...”“What’s the use of that pathetic title? A thousand taels of gold is the real deal!”

People nearby discussed animatedly; some were excited, others simply curious. Some were even planning to go to the capital for the spectacle, convinced it would be far more interesting than a temple fair.

But for the beggars in the corner, who struggled even with basic sustenance, such a grand event felt too distant. They remained listless, except for the old beggar who had been sleeping soundly in the corner; he opened his eyes.

‘At this critical juncture, the Daizhen Emperor is holding a Grand Water-Land Ceremony. Won’t this so-called gathering of immortal connections turn into a chaotic dance of demons?’

However, on second thought, the old beggar decided it wouldn’t, but he couldn’t fall back asleep. He let out a yawn.

The old beggar yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He picked the sleep from the corners of his eyes, rolled it between his fingers a few times, and flicked it away.

“Grandpa Lu, why aren’t you sleeping anymore? We haven’t begged for food yet today.”

Seeing the old beggar awake, a young beggar, appearing eleven or twelve, spoke to him. Noticing the old beggar about to rise, he quickly went to help him up.

“Uncle Lu’s awake?”“Uncle Lu, have some water.”

“I still have a bite to eat. I just picked up two pastries; they’re not spoiled!”

As soon as the old beggar woke up, the other beggars offered greetings and showed concern. He simply took a bamboo tube, drank a few sips of water, then took one of the pastries, popped it into his mouth, and waved his hand at the others.

“Alright, alright, keep it for yourselves. This old beggar isn’t hungry right now.”

Having said that, the old beggar stood up, chewed the pastry in his mouth, and stretched contentedly. Some passersby who were still looking at the yellow proclamation cast sidelong glances at the group of beggars, who had made a bit of noise. Once the old beggar finished stretching, he beckoned to the young beggar who had first spoken to him.

“You’er, how about we go explore the capital?”

The young beggar, holding a broken ceramic bowl, stood up and looked at the yellow proclamation. He wondered if Grandpa Lu had heard the people reading it while he was sleeping. His verbal reply was a bit hesitant.

“The capital... it’s so far...”

“Hey, just tell me if you want to go or not?”

The old beggar reached into a hole in his clothes, scratching an itch under his armpit. One eye closed, the other squinting, he asked the young beggar with a smile.

“Yes! It’s the liveliest and most magnificent place under heaven, of course I want to go!”

“Haha... Then let’s go!”

The old beggar reached out and patted the young beggar’s back, then half-pushed him forward. The young beggar walked a few steps in a daze, then looked back. The other beggars were watching him and the old beggar depart. He suddenly realized: were he and Grandpa Lu really setting off now?

It was only then that the beggars behind them called out their farewells.

“Take care, Uncle Lu!”“Be careful on the road, little You!”

“Uncle Lu, keep an eye on little You!”

The old beggar chuckled, looked back, and waved, casually muttering a few “Take cares” before continuing to lead little You down the street. The group of beggars watched their receding figures, then returned to their spots, waiting for the afternoon’s leftover food and other alms.

“Grandpa Lu, what about Uncle Zhang and the others if we leave?”

The old beggar seemed to have fleas all over, scratching his front with one hand and his back with the other. Hearing the young beggar’s question, he muttered for a while.

“They don’t depend on us for survival, and their begging skills are better than yours. Besides, several of them no longer have broken limbs or festering sores, so doing some honest work isn’t difficult for them. Don’t you worry about it.”

Whether they were capable monks or Daoists, spirits and demons, or even swindlers and charlatans, there were certainly many like the old beggar who, upon learning of the Grand Water-Land Ceremony, rushed to the Capital Prefecture. Even if no malevolent entities showed up, just imagining a gathering of swindlers and charlatans converging in the capital to ‘partake in the grand event’ could, in a sense, be considered a ‘chaotic dance of demons.’

Although Tongzhou bordered the Capital Prefecture, Changle Prefecture and the Capital Prefecture were ultimately separated by two prefectures. The old beggar and the young beggar would wake up, beg for food while traveling, and when tired, they would lie down and sleep in any place that offered shelter from wind and rain. At least the weather was warm, so they wouldn’t freeze. Despite their method of travel, their pace wasn’t slow. In just over a month, they had walked all the way from Changle Prefecture to the Capital Prefecture on their own two feet.

Early one morning, the old and young beggars joined the long queue outside the city gates, waiting to enter. Since they had slept right by the city gates the previous night, they were at the very front of the line when they woke up, even before the gates opened. A farmer with a carrying pole, waiting behind them, couldn’t help but move two paces away. Not only did the two beggars smell strongly, but the old one constantly scratched himself, likely indicating he had lice.

The old beggar yawned and peered down the line several times, seeing the queue grow longer and longer. Sometimes, spotting individuals in the queue who looked like ‘esteemed masters’ but were merely putting on airs, he couldn’t help but snicker aloud.

“Groan... thud... thud... thud...”

“The city gates are open!”

As the soldiers within opened the city gates, the entrance to the Capital Prefecture was revealed to those waiting to enter. Normally, beggars were not allowed through the city gates. But to the young beggar, even though the old beggar was disheveled and filthy, he managed to appear remarkably imposing when interrogated by the gate guards. His declaration, “I have come by imperial decree to attend the Grand Water-Land Ceremony,” was delivered with full vigor, and he met the soldiers’ direct gaze without flinching, causing them to hesitate repeatedly before finally letting him pass.

The capital was indeed extraordinarily lively, far surpassing Changle Prefecture even on ordinary days, let alone now. It completely dazzled the young beggar. Nevertheless, after wandering around the city, the two beggars resumed their old trade, preparing to settle down in a suitable spot to beg.

“Hey! This spot’s good. You can smell the aroma of dishes from both sides and see people from all directions.”

The old beggar cheerfully pulled the young beggar along to a corner opposite a teahouse, with several other restaurants nearby. The two sat down, and the young beggar naturally placed his broken bowl in front of them. Watching the old beggar about to doze off again, the young beggar looked around curiously.

‘The capital is truly vast and bustling, and there are hardly any beggars here!’

His gaze wandered until it landed on a person at a table outside the teahouse opposite, calmly watching him while holding a teacup. That person was like a special magnet, instantly capturing the young beggar’s full attention. Across the not-so-wide street, a distance of about four or five zhang, the young beggar’s eyesight was clear enough to make out the person’s appearance. He looked like an educated, refined scholar, yet upon closer inspection, though his eyes were half-open, they appeared eerily pale.

“Grandpa Lu, there seems to be a blind man watching us from the teahouse...”

“Heh heh, silly child, how can a blind man be watching us? Don’t you think that sounds strange yourself?”

“But I really feel that way...”

The old beggar, scratching an itch, sat up and glanced in the direction the young beggar was looking. That one glance made him freeze, and after turning to look more closely, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Serene and tranquil, with pale, unmoving eyes. No divine power seemed to emanate, yet his presence merged seamlessly with nature, evoking a profound sense of freshness upon seeing him – a feeling that resonated both visually and spiritually.

The old beggar glanced at the young beggar beside him, murmuring somewhat dazedly.

“You’er... this is no ordinary blind man!”