Chapter 447: Chapter 411: Shocked at the Name (Monthly Ticket Request)
The sky was high and the air was crisp, the distant mountains decorated with autumn hues painted a poetic and picturesque scene, with layers of forests fully dyed in colors, a feast for the eyes.
A donkey cart slowly moved along the official road, the man sitting on the cart shaft, with a dignified appearance and dark skin, dressed in coarse cloth, lowered his head to draw.
The person next to him was tuning a two-stringed fiddle, occasionally playing a few notes.
As he looked up, Sanchuan City had already appeared at the end of their view.
"We’re almost there!"
Cheng Ge, holding the two-stringed fiddle, shouted into the carriage, while Jia Liang beside him had already finished drawing a simple terrain map.
Inside the carriage, Yao Zhen yawned, nudging the soundly sleeping Sang Que with his foot, "Wake up, hey, we’re almost there!"
Sang Que, looking exhausted, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and stretched lazily, having been so busy these days that she hadn’t even slept. At last, she managed to transport all the excavators, mixers, various machinery, vehicles, construction materials, and related construction personnel, researchers, security staff she would need for the next six months before their departure.
Now even if she’s not around, the construction of Dawn Base wouldn’t be hindered.
On the way to Sanchuan City, Sang Que had nothing to do, just perfect for some sleep.
This time heading to Shengjing, Ghost Vendor had gone ahead to explore the path, taking care of potential problems they might encounter on the way.
Qiao Ling prepared some common medicines for Sang Que and decided to stay behind at Bright Moon Mountain to look after Xia Chan and learn modern medical techniques with the people from the research institute’s medical department.
In rescuing people, she couldn’t help much and was afraid of being a burden, so she didn’t follow.
The monk contacted by Ghost Vendor was to meet them in Shengjing City, Master’s Jing Lan being older, had Yao Zhen accompany Sang Que together.
Cheng Ge, needless to say, with it being his own master, wanted to personally go to rescue to feel at ease.
Lastly was Jia Liang, the people at the research institute hoped to have a modern person accompany Sang Que to Shengjing to collect some intelligence about Shengjing, and Sang Que was the one who proposed to bring Jia Liang along.
His skill with the ghost of food delivery was too unique, definitely useful this time.
Jia Liang, after returning to modern times earlier, became a real food deliveryman for a few days, each order was very ’thoughtful’.
If there was no one home, he hung it inside the door.
If someone was too engrossed in games to open the door, he hung it on the chair back.
If someone had terminal laziness, he placed the food opened neatly on the table for them.
His bizarre operations scared people from ever ordering takeaway again, with various strange tales flying over the internet, causing the company’s stock price for food delivery software to plummet.
In any case, Jia Liang smoothly advanced to the third layer, improving in every aspect.
The route to Sanchuan City was also chosen by him riding a black donkey, indeed saving quite a bit of time.
Sanchuan City was located in the central part of Jinzhou, at the intersection of Jinzhou’s Three Rivers and three main roads. From Sanchuan City, one could go south to Qinzhou, west to Tibet, and east to Jingzhou.
After Sang Que woke up, she lifted the curtain to take a look, asking everyone to take out their respective household registration documents for confirmation.
Yao Zhen had the ordination certificate from the Taoist temple, Sang Que, Jia Liang, and Cheng Ge’s household registration documents were all provided by Zhang Junyao.
Nowadays, Zhang Junyao was causing a sensation in the business scene in Jinzhou, everyone knowing she preferred using women as shopkeepers, with Sang Que’s current identity being the manager of the Zhang Family cloth store in Yangliu Town.
Jia Liang was the cloth store’s assistant, Cheng Ge was the store’s tailor, Yao Zhen was a hitchhiker they met along the way.
Cheng Ge’s face was also transformed with modern cosmetics, making him indistinguishable from a native of Jinzhou.
Similarly, Sang Que, after the transformation by modern makeup technology had become ’unrecognizable’, even causing a pause for Sang Wan, who only recognized her through eyes when video chatting.
Once everything was confirmed to be okay, Sang Que looked at the Cloud Brocade brought from modern times on the cart, feeling assured.
At the city gate of Sanchuan City, Zhang Junyao had already sent people to wait.
Upon seeing Sang Que and confirming the secret code, they immediately led them into the city.
The city entry inspection was indeed very strict. Besides checking household registration documents, they would also question the purpose of entering the city, where they planned to stay, how long they intended to remain, and so on.
Despite having the Zhao Family as guarantors, Sang Que and others were questioned for a long time. Finally, it was the piece of Cloud Brocade that dispelled the city gate guards’ suspicions, convincing them that Sang Que was a cloth store manager, who had woven fine brocade brought for Zhang Junyao to see.
After entering the city, Jia Liang and Cheng Ge went to find lodging at an inn and also took the chance to explore the city.
Yao Zhen, being a hitchhiker, of course, couldn’t stay with Sang Que. He left early as well to find a place to set up a stall and gather information about the plan to suppress bandits in Jinzhou.
The people from Zhang Family led Sang Que straight to Zhang’s Grain Shop in the city west.
Carrying the cloth, Sang Que entered the grain shop. Zhang Junyao initially didn’t recognize her, until the person who came to meet Sang Que secretly gestured, at which point Zhang Junyao realized.
Zhang Junyao didn’t act rashly, first settling accounts with the shopkeeper as usual, then allowing Sang Que to meet her in the backyard to talk.
"Quickly seal up the room." Inside the room, Zhang Junyao reverted to her lively self, peeking outside, "I just saw Zhao Family people across the street, watching me."
Sang Que threw the Cloud Brocade onto the table, using the Ghost Realm to seal the entire room, eliciting a sudden shiver from Zhang Junyao as the cold atmosphere crept in.
"Why are Zhao Family people watching you?" Sang Que casually asked.
Drawn to the brocade on the table, Zhang Junyao casually replied while looking at it, "I killed their third brother Zhao Jingquan without leaving evidence, so they’re watching me, probably looking for a chance to get revenge."
Sang Que was slightly shocked, indeed not expecting Zhang Junyao to be decisive and ruthless despite her soft and lively appearance. It had only been a month since she said she’d deal with this Zhao Jingquan spying on Bright Moon Mountain.
"Where did you get this piece of brocade? It’s top quality, I’ll take as much as you have!"
Sang Que awkwardly replied, "Just this piece, it’s a gift for you. The rest, we’ll talk about once I return from Shengjing. When can we set off?"
Zhang Junyao lowered her eyes in disappointment, yet still fondled the Cloud Brocade lovingly.
"My eldest brother sent a letter last month, estimating he’ll reach Sanchuan City within the next couple of weeks. He will rest before sending the Buddha Statue carved by Tibetan monks to Shengjing before this year’s Winter Solstice. Then I can arrange for you to slip into the team. Because it’s a delivery of the Ten Victory Stone Buddha Statue, ordinary evil spirits and ghosts wouldn’t dare approach the convoy, so on that front, the inspection isn’t particularly strict."
Sang Que nodded; she actually wasn’t worried about inspections. She just needed a means to enter Shengjing City smoothly.
She could temporarily hide Cheng Ge and the others in a painting, then have Zhang Junyao’s brother carry a box into the city and come out through the box once inside.
"How is your own matter progressing? Have you found any suitable evil spirits?" Sang Que asked.
At the mention of this, Zhang Junyao finally put down the Cloud Brocade in her hand, leaned in towards Sang Que, and said, "Yes, I’ve found three suitable ones hiding in the villages and towns around our Sanchuan City. I bribed a Day Travel Captain from the Evil Suppression Bureau to help me keep an eye. These three evil spirits aren’t particularly cruel."
Sang Que motioned for Zhang Junyao to continue talking.
Zhang Junyao lowered her voice, as if afraid of startling something.
"One of them is a ghost woman in white. The Day Travel Captain I bribed, Liang San, once saw the shadow of that ghost woman in white at a household. But when he inquired about any harmful incidents, there were none, and the strange happenings in that village were fewer compared to others. Liang San said the ghost woman in white might be good, protecting the village."
"The second," Zhang Junyao touched the brocade on the table, "the second is an embroideress. Known for her exceptional embroidery skills, she once sought work at the Zhang Family embroidery workshop, working for three years, progressing from a low-level embroideress to a high-level one. Last year, forced by her family, she resigned to return home to marry, but died on the night before her wedding, becoming an elusive evil spirit. If any household had a loom or unfinished embroidery, she occasionally appeared at night to help weave and embroider flowers."
"Are you good at embroidery?"
Zhang Junyao smiled bitterly, "I was forced to learn a bit as a child, but my skills are average."
"And the third one?"
Zhang Junyao leaned even closer, "The third is interesting, but it might be beyond the third layer. Liang San discovered that some people in the surrounding villages worship a god with a dubious origin. He went to check, and found out. Have you heard of the Thousand-faced God?"
"Who?!" Sang Que looked utterly shocked; was it the Thousand-faced God she knew?
