Chapter 96: Righteousness Suppresses Evil

After leaving the shop specializing in scholarly items, Ji Yuan weighed the broken silver in his hand. It was at least two ounces, which, while incomparable to the thousands of taels often seen in TV dramas from his past life, was still a considerable sum. For Ji Yuan, it was certainly a welcome amount.

Silver, in this world, was quite durable, and he had only incurred three major expenses.

The first time was when he didn't understand that his destiny couldn't be easily divined, which led to Daoist Qingsong suffering a severe life-threatening injury when he tried to read Ji Yuan's fortune. The gold nuggets and silver fragments Ji Yuan left behind were worth more than thirty taels, enough for the master and disciple to recover fully and travel home with plenty to spare.

The second expense was for a boat trip. He shared a chartered boat, which cost him just under 600 copper coins, or slightly more than half an ounce of silver.

The third time was in Chunhui Prefecture, where he indulged his craving for two catties of "Thousand Day Spring" tea, spending just under four taels.

Remaining living expenses, such as food and lodging, were not significant. For food, a luxurious meal at a restaurant might cost a few hundred copper coins, while a bowl of noodles was only a few. One tael of silver was equivalent to one thousand copper coins.

As for accommodation, Ji Yuan had hardly stayed in inns since he started his travels. An occasional stay for a bath in a top-tier inn's superior room would only cost about a hundred copper coins.

Therefore, besides the gold ingot from which some corners had been chipped off, Ji Yuan still had nearly ten taels of loose silver. Now, the shop owner had replenished a good portion of it.

Tucking the silver back into his purse, Ji Yuan carried his umbrella and backpack, leisurely wandering through Jun Tian Prefecture City.

Wooden cartwheels rumbled over stone paths as they passed, children giggled while chasing each other with candied haws, street vendors and shop owners vigorously hawked their wares, and the scent of cosmetics and snacks wafted through the air.

"Oh, Great Hero Zuo, you grew up right here!"

Ji Yuan could sometimes be quite sentimental. Just then, he imagined Zuo Li as a little boy, chasing his friends with a wooden sword, reenacting martial arts tales in his mind.

Following the scent of tea and the sound of hawking, Ji Yuan arrived at a bustling teahouse where a storyteller was enthusiastically recounting tales, complete with singing.

A tea server immediately approached Ji Yuan with eager greetings.

"Welcome, esteemed guest! We have various teas, pan-fried delicacies, and brewed options!"

"Good. Find me a lively spot, preferably near the storyteller."

"Oh, what a shame, those spots are all full. How about a bit closer to the edge?"

The tea server glanced at the storyteller's area in the middle of the hall before replying.

"That'll do. You arrange it."

"Please follow me, esteemed guest!"

Following the enthusiastic tea server, Ji Yuan was led to an empty four-person table next to a pillar on the left side of the central area. The server deftly wiped away a tea stain with a cloth.

"Please be seated, esteemed guest. What tea would you like, and what refreshments?"

Ji Yuan pretended to look at the blurred menu board across the hall and spoke without waiting for the server to list options.

"Bring me a pot of the finest new tea, freshly brewed, and three plates of your most famous tea snacks."

"Right away! Please wait a moment!"

Once the tea server left, Ji Yuan's attention fully turned to his surroundings. People at nearby tables were all drinking tea and enjoying snacks, listening intently to the storyteller recount a story, which seemed to be about a general's famous battle.

"So, hundreds of rafts carrying enemy troops floated across the great river, about to outflank our army's weak rear. General Huang, who was then merely a commander of a hundred men, detected this intelligence. In a moment of quick thinking, he immediately dispatched men to report back to the main camp, while dividing his scouts into multiple groups to rush into several nearby forests..."

At this point, the storyteller put down his fan, picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and wiped sweat with a cloth. Some impatient tea customers below eagerly pressed for more.

"Could it be that General Huang repelled the enemy with just these few soldiers?"

"Hey, don't interrupt!" "Exactly, let the storyteller continue!"

As soon as the storyteller put down his teacup and picked up his fan, the clamor and discussion below naturally quieted down. To Ji Yuan, it felt as if his very presence commanded silence.

"General Huang knew then that his small force was no match for the enemy, like striking a stone with an egg. But the general was resourceful. He ordered his men to prepare dry tinder and kindling in the pine forest, but not to ignite them yet. At the same time, he used his troops to the fullest to frighten the birds out of the forest!"

"The enemy general crossing the river was also no unknown figure. Midway across, seeing all the birds in the forest on the opposite bank take flight, he sensed something amiss. He ordered a halt to the crossing, sending only a dozen small rafts to investigate... It was at this moment!"

At this, the storyteller suddenly raised his voice and slammed his gavel with a resounding "thwack," startling the tea customers, yet no one interrupted him.

"General Huang ordered his men to ignite all the prepared dry kindling. Immediately, more than a dozen plumes of smoke rose from the forest... The enemy general on the opposite bank turned pale with fright, exclaiming that he had seen through the ambush, and ordered a swift retreat. Many soldiers on those dozen small rafts were so terrified by the smoke that they fell into the water..."

The storyteller vividly dramatized the battle with his words, presenting General Huang's cunning and bravery through the tale, which drew exclamations of awe from the tea customers.

Ji Yuan listened with great interest, nodding frequently. This was art!

After the storyteller finished his tale, having expended much effort and many words, he received several generous tips from patrons like Ji Yuan and others nearby. The teahouse also provided a fee, ensuring a good income for him.

The next segment, "Battle of Dongshan," was set to begin later. The storyteller was now resting, conserving his energy and drinking tea. Ji Yuan gathered all his tea snacks onto one plate and, carrying his teapot, went over to him.

"Sir, may I have a word with you?"

Seeing Ji Yuan approach with a teapot and a plate of snacks, and noting his refined appearance, the storyteller smiled and nodded.

"Please sit!"

Ji Yuan, understanding the etiquette, put down the snacks and poured some of his good tea into a fresh cup on the table for the storyteller.

"Please have some tea! And please help yourself to the snacks!"

Ji Yuan had already discerned that the tea provided by the teahouse to the storyteller was old, definitely not as good as his own.

The storyteller, without ceremony, smiled, picked up a piece of shortbread, put it in his mouth, and took a sip of tea.

"Esteemed sir, do you have something to ask?"

"Indeed. I'd like to inquire about the Zuo family of Jun Tian Prefecture, the one that was renowned in the martial arts world decades ago. I wonder how their descendants are faring these days?"

The storyteller frowned, looking at Ji Yuan with slight surprise, observing him from head to toe: wide-sleeved blue robe, a hairpin in his topknot, slender hands, and not a strong physique.

"Esteemed sir, are you a martial artist?"

"Heh heh... I have some connection to the martial arts world, but I am not a martial artist myself. It's just that an ancestor of the Zuo family once showed me great kindness, and I have come specifically to find their descendants."

An ancestor of the Zuo family?

The storyteller frowned again, scrutinizing Ji Yuan. He found it absurd that he couldn't quite determine Ji Yuan's age, and then finally noticed his slightly open eyes were pale.

However, the storyteller dared not stare further, unsure if the man before him was a martial arts master. In any case, the Zuo family's affairs were no concern of his.

"Few in the city know about this anymore. The Zuo family was once prominent, but alas... fate is cruel. Zuo Jianxian became obsessed with the sword and, after his death, the sword intent calligraphy he left behind stirred up a bloody storm in the martial arts world, bringing disaster to the Zuo family. Even with Great Hero Zuo Qiu's foresight and arrangements, the Zuo family found it difficult to extricate themselves..."

After more than an hour, Ji Yuan left the teahouse, frowning, and headed towards the old Zuo family residence in the west of the city. However, when he finally found the place after two hours, even the façade had changed to "Qian Mansion," and the gatekeeper knew nothing about the Zuo family.

As dusk fell and fewer pedestrians were on the streets, with many shops closing, Ji Yuan still wandered alone on the west side of the city.

"Could it be that the Zuo family has truly vanished?"

Mumbling to himself, he saw that ahead, some establishments were still brightly lit and bustling. Besides places of pleasure, there was also a building with a "gambling" lantern hanging outside.

Coincidentally, Ji Yuan heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance of the gambling house ahead.

"Wait, I'll be right back! I'll be right back!"

"Don't be a sore loser now! Hahahaha!"

"I still have capital, wait for me!"

The steamed bun vendor from earlier that day rushed out of the gambling house, sweating profusely. His steps were still brisk, but the aura about him was vastly different from when Ji Yuan had chatted with him during the day.

"What a pity. Righteousness doesn't always triumph over evil!"

Ji Yuan shook his head slightly and took a different route, walking elsewhere.

After acquiring the "Imperial Edict" method, Ji Yuan could now leave "decrees" in writing without harming his fundamental being. While his decrees held no great power, they were indeed miraculous.

The "Tongming Scroll" had exalted these decrees to the heavens, claiming only true Daoist masters could achieve them. Ji Yuan had found a clever shortcut, and perhaps the effect was even better.

At the same moment the steamed bun vendor was running home in a sweat, the owner of the scroll mounting shop was meticulously admiring the calligraphy and couldn't resist trying to copy it.

A night patrol from the netherworld passed by the shop owner's residence and vaguely noticed a faint spiritual glow emanating from the house, as if the dwelling itself had become clearer and more transparent in the night.