Chapter 78: Seeking Help from the Tortoise and Others

“Oh, I splurged this once!”

Ji Yuan wandered through Chunhui Prefecture with his precious pot of Thousand-Day Spring wine. Chunhui Prefecture boasted forty-two large districts, each far grander than the twelve smaller ones in Ning'an County. Its total population was over 200,000, and its streets were wide and interconnected, bustling with carriages and horses.

Ji Yuan had always been confident in his sense of direction, but in a place like this, he still felt lost, unsure of where to go.

Ultimately, his stomach made the decision, leading him to a cheap place to eat. Fortunately, despite Chunhui Prefecture's size, not all areas were expensive; he could still find stalls where a meal cost just a few coppers.

***

At this moment, in a high-class courtyard of an inn in Guiyue District, near the south of Chunhui Prefecture, Wei Wuwei was in his room, frowning as he wrote and drew something. To meet the needs of their guests, some reputable inns offered standalone courtyards, like the one Wei Wuwei occupied, in addition to their main buildings. These naturally came at a higher price.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

At the sound of knocking, Wei Wuwei looked up at the already open doorway.

"Come in!"

A middle-aged man, appearing to be a steward, entered the room.

"Master, the 'Drunken Tonight' and 'Du Kang' wines purchased from Dingyuan Prefecture and Duming Prefecture have arrived. The 'Jinping Red Powder' from Jinzhou should be en route and, by our calculations, will make it in time. However, even with fast horses, the 'Golden Jade Wine' from the Capital Region will likely not arrive in time."

"Hmm, if it can't make it, so be it. These wines are already sufficient. Have my uncle and third uncle tasted them yet? Which one is the best?"

The old steward paused for a moment before replying: "To this old servant's knowledge, among all the wines, Chunhui Prefecture's local 'Thousand-Day Spring' still has a slight edge!"

"Good, you may go."

"Yes, this old servant takes his leave!"

Only after the old steward silently exited the room did Wei Wuwei pick up his brush and cross out "Drunken Tonight" and "Du Kang" wines on the paper. For the event on the fifteenth day of the fifth month, the Wei family had prepared over thirty kinds of fine wines, including many renowned ones comparable to Thousand-Day Spring. Some were brought from Desheng Prefecture, some purchased directly in Chunhui Prefecture, and others expedited from different regions.

"Hmph, that Zheng Qianqiu only prepares two or three good wines each year, with Thousand-Day Spring being the main event. My Wei family has ten times that! I refuse to believe that old turtle won't show up!" he muttered. Mumbling to himself, Wei Wuwei once again pulled out the blue jade from his chest and toyed with it in his plump hand. He examined it closely in the window light, but still couldn't make out the four small characters he had once seen.

'If I go to the immortal mountain, will money still be useful there? What if it's not? How will I manage food, clothing, and other expenses? What about my several concubines at home? Can I come down the mountain to visit during festivals? Or should I let someone else have this opportunity, but I don't even have a son yet...' Wei Wuwei's thoughts began to wander once more.

***

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, dusk began to settle.

Ji Yuan, who had been waiting outside the South Gate since earlier, finally heard Wei Wuwei's voice again. From the afternoon, the Wei family, divided into seven or eight groups, had transported the collected fine wines out of the South Gate using small carts. It wasn't until evening that Wei Wuwei, accompanied by an old steward, leisurely walked out of the South Gate, carrying a jar of Thousand-Day Spring wine, which he sipped as he went.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... This Chunhui Prefecture truly is a place of good rivers and good waters, to be able to brew such excellent wine!"

Hearing Wei Wuwei's praise, the old steward beside him also chuckled. "I heard that back then, Yuanzi Shop was just a small tavern, and Thousand-Day Spring was merely a homemade local brew—delicious but unknown. The then-prefect, after accidentally tasting it, was greatly impressed. He presented it to the Imperial Capital, and the Emperor, delighted, personally bestowed upon it the name 'Thousand-Day Spring'."

"Oh, so that's how it is!"

Ji Yuan, sitting on a tree outside the city, secretly nodded. However, hearing the sloshing sound of Wei Wuwei's nearly full wine jar in the distance, and then looking at his own small flask, which held barely two more sips, he could only sigh.

As the sun neared the western horizon, the sky quickly darkened, and the four main gates of Chunhui Prefecture gradually closed. By this time, people outside Chunhui Prefecture were suddenly scarce. Apart from some pleasure boats on the river, and perhaps a few people near the east city wharf, the South Gate area was essentially deserted, save for the Wei family members who had already left the city and were secretly hiding.

Wei Wuwei and the old steward walked along the riverbank towards the southwest, passing a continuous stretch of willows. After about five li, they saw several particularly massive willow trees that had fallen horizontally into the river. At this moment, a full moon hung high in the sky, and a gentle evening breeze swept across the river. Apart from a single pleasure boat a hundred zhang away on the distant river, there were no signs of human habitation nearby.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

The old steward clapped his hands together, three clear and resonant sounds echoing as his palms met with a whistling whoosh.

Shortly after the sounds faded, people began to emerge from behind nearby groves, pushing small carts. There were about twenty people in total, with eight carts. Some carts were laden with five-jin jars of wine, while others carried two large, half-human-height wine vats.

"Master!" "Master!" "Greetings, Master!"

Quiet greetings continued to rise. While Wei Wuwei could ignore the others, he dared not disrespect two of the elders present.

"First Uncle, Third Uncle, you watched me grow up. Calling me 'Master' makes my teeth ache!"

"Hehehe, rules must be observed."

"Indeed, Master. Everything is prepared for tonight. May we open the jars and pour the wine into the river?"

Wei Wuwei looked at the sky, then at the wide river. "Very well. First, pour a jar of Thousand-Day Spring and Du Kang into the river!"

"Yes!"

Two of Wei Wuwei's elders personally took a jar of wine each from two of the carts. With a gentle sweep of their palms over the seals, the sealing mud flew off. They then carried the jars to the riverbank and tilted them, pouring the wine into the water.

Ji Yuan, hidden in a willow tree about thirty zhang downwind, inhaled the wafting aroma of wine, feeling a profound sense of wastefulness. Although he wasn't seemingly far away, Ji Yuan wasn't afraid of being discovered by the old turtle or the Wei family. The latter was obvious, and while the former had some cultivation, it hadn't yet transformed into human form. If it were submerged in water, some exceptionally gifted aquatic creatures might detect Ji Yuan, but on land, its senses wouldn't be as keen.

After the two jars of wine had been poured and a moment passed, the river's surface finally began to change.

"Splash, splash, splash... splash, splash..."

In the distance, ripples began to spread across the river, causing a collective gasp among the Wei family's experts. Ji Yuan also fixed his gaze on the river surface near the bank. A ripple could be seen approaching. While others could only perceive the waves and not what lay beneath the dark water, in Ji Yuan's eyes, the old turtle below the surface was clearly visible, paddling its way closer.

"Splash..."

The giant turtle reached the bank and extended half of its body out of the water, terrifying the Wei family members, who scrambled backward. Under the moonlight, half of the old turtle's shell alone was a full zhang wide, as large as a small boat.

"Oh? The boy named Zheng didn't come? It seems his predestined tribulation hasn't passed yet..." With half its body still submerged, the old turtle's two claws, resting on the bank, pressed down a layer of mud and grass. It glanced at the surrounding fine wines before continuing. "It appears then that he has fallen into your hands. But it makes no difference to me; in fact, it might even be a good thing."

Splash...

From the river's edge, twisting columns of water rose and shot towards the carts on the bank. After coiling around the carts, they burst apart with a splash, creating small waves that pushed the carts one by one towards the river.

"Plop~" "Plop~" "Plop~"

All eight carts fell into the water. During this time, not a single Wei family member spoke, all staring in astonishment. This was their first encounter with a spirit creature and water manipulation magic.

"What? No requests? Just sending wine? Hehehe... Speak!" The old turtle drew the wine into the river but did not leave immediately, instead waiting by the bank.

Only then did Wei Wuwei come to his senses and respectfully bowed towards the old turtle. "Esteemed immortal, I am Wei Wuwei, head of the Wei family from Desheng Prefecture. I possess a family heirloom jade pendant. I know only that it comes from Jade Embrace Mountain, the abode of immortals, but I do not know how to enter the immortal realm. I humbly ask for your guidance!"

The old turtle turned its head in surprise, looking at Wei Wuwei. "You actually know the jade pendant is from Jade Embrace Mountain? Come closer, let me see you!"

Despite his fear, Wei Wuwei gritted his teeth and bravely approached the old turtle, stopping about a foot away. His heart pounded like a frantic drum.

"Hmm!? Why is your fate so unclear! Impossible, this is impossible... You are clearly just a mortal!" Ordinary people might change their destiny through perseverance, but how could one obscure their fate!

The old turtle, lost in surprised contemplation, suddenly looked up again, staring intently at Wei Wuwei. "Since you know about Jade Embrace Mountain, could it be that... have you met some distinguished person?"

Wei Wuwei's breathing steadied considerably. Hearing the old turtle's astonishment, he almost immediately thought of the serene figure playing chess in that small courtyard in Ning'an County. However, he didn't know if Mr. Ji would allow him to reveal his information, so he hesitated at this moment.

The old turtle in the river seemed to see through this, its tone becoming urgent. "You must have seen someone, haven't you? You must have! Wei Wuwei~~!" The remaining half of the old turtle's body actually rose from the river. Its voice, no longer calm, became excited and booming. "Could you possibly introduce this old turtle to that distinguished person, or perhaps convey a message for me and ask on my behalf, Wei Wuwei~~~! Did you hear me or not~~~!"