107: Xunyang County

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By October, the wind had turned faintly cool. Morning mist veiled the distant mountains, and now and then a bird’s long, melodious call echoed through the ranges.

The road, choked with weeds, saw no travelers. Yi Fan had nevertheless made Yan Gui put on a bamboo hat to conceal his figure and avoid provoking trouble. Thus, swaying along atop the old donkey for more than half an hour, they finally came upon signs of human habitation. The road widened, and after several more miles, they saw a low, dilapidated city gate.

The sun was already high in the sky. Ordinarily, this would have been the busiest hour of the day, yet the gate was unusually quiet. A dozen armored soldiers were stationed on either side, while clerks inspected travel permits. Anyone whose papers were not in order was dragged aside. Those leaving the city were examined even more rigorously, searched again and again—women included.

Yi Fan furrowed his brow. He had no travel permit, and judging from the severity of the inspections, even those who possessed one might not be allowed inside.

Suddenly, the thunder of hooves rang out. Seven or eight armored riders burst from the city, not slowing their horses as they shouted, “Clear the way! By order of General Zhang, we are hunting down criminals!”

At the mention of General Zhang, the soldiers—who had never intended to interfere in the first place—scattered even farther. After the riders raised a cloud of dust, the already strict inspections became harsher still. Many people simply abandoned the line and turned back with sighs, much to the dismay of those desperate to enter the city.

Yi Fan dismounted and stopped an old man carrying baskets of fruit and vegetables.

“Honored sir, I am a wandering Daoist who has come from afar to visit a friend. I happened to pass through Xunyang County. May I ask what has happened here that the soldiers are inspecting everyone so severely?”

The old man looked him over. Seeing that Yi Fan did not resemble a bandit, he sighed.

“These are difficult times. Bandits run rampant in the mountains beyond the city, and even inside the city it is no safer. A few days ago, we do not know which band of ruffians ambushed the carriage of Master Song and killed everyone aboard—more than a dozen people. The Song family is one of the great households in Xunyang County. They have always been the ones killing others; when have they ever been killed themselves? Naturally, they will not let the matter rest.”

He glanced at Yi Fan, shook his head, and continued, “You are not from around here, Daoist. Take an old man’s advice and leave at once. Do not invite trouble and lose your life over it.”

With that, he said no more and hurried away with his head lowered.

Yi Fan felt somewhat helpless. According to the information Zhuge Liuyun had given him, the Shushan Sword Sect maintained a contact station somewhere in Xunyang County. Once he delivered the letter, he would have nothing more to do. Unfortunately, the county was clearly in turmoil, and entering through the proper channels seemed impossible.

Fortunately, Yi Fan was no pedant. He possessed a fair amount of skill, and several dozen ordinary soldiers would not be enough to trouble him. He was therefore not afraid. After one more glance at the city gate, he noticed that several soldiers had begun watching him. He decided not to linger and turned away.

The old donkey sneezed, licked its lips, and followed reluctantly.

Several hours later, darkness gradually settled over the land. The city gates had been closed long before, and there were no longer any travelers on the road. Only displaced refugees huddled against the base of the wall, hoping the low ramparts would shield them from the cold wind.

Yi Fan found a deserted spot. Fortunately, Xunyang County was not a large city, and its walls were old, low, and poorly maintained. He instructed Yan Gui to guard their belongings and protect the donkey lest someone butcher it for meat. Then he sprang into the air, ran a few steps up the wall, and vaulted over it.

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On the other side of the wall lay a narrow alley, dark and damp. Yi Fan glanced to either side, and seeing no one, slipped forward and strode out. After turning several corners, he reached a street.

The county town had never been prosperous, but at this hour it was utterly silent. Not a single lamp burned along either side of the street.

This posed a problem for Yi Fan. Though Xunyang County was not large, it still held tens of thousands of households. Its streets were tangled, its houses countless, and without someone to guide him, finding the place would not be easy even if he knew the address.

Just then, a shadow flashed across a nearby rooftop. It leaped over one building after another and vanished moments later. While Yi Fan was still pondering this, another figure swept past, rapidly pursuing the first.

“What a lively night.”

Yi Fan was troubled. Recalling what the old man had said during the day, he wondered whether the two might be bandits. He had no desire to meddle in other people’s affairs, yet another figure suddenly hurried around the corner.

Unlike the first two, this person moved furtively, carrying a large bundle on his back and a huge porcelain vase in his hands.

A robber? He certainly did not look like one.

Yi Fan’s thoughts stirred. He had been worrying about having no one to ask for directions. The first two figures had not seemed like good people, while this furtive fellow was clearly either a thief or a burglar.

With that in mind, Yi Fan did not alert him. He quietly followed behind.

After nearly half an hour of stopping and starting, they finally arrived at a dilapidated courtyard. The figure looked around carefully. Seeing that no one had noticed him, he was just about to knock when he suddenly felt a chill at his neck—a sword had been pressed against it.

“Do not turn around. Do not shout, or your head will fall.”

The man proved remarkably quick to surrender. He immediately dropped to his knees, pressed his forehead to the ground, and did not dare move.

“Big brother, I didn’t see anything. I know nothing. All the valuables are here—they’re all yours.”

Yi Fan was amused and exasperated. As expected, the man was merely a petty thief. He kicked open the bundle and, by the light of the moon, saw that it contained mostly porcelain. There were only a few pieces of jewelry, along with several bolts of old cloth.

“What are you doing, moving house?”

He had no patience for haggling and asked directly, “Tell me this: where is Linshan Abbey in Xunyang County?”

“Linshan Abbey?” The man froze. When he felt the sword shift against his neck, he hurriedly continued, “You’ve come to the right man, big brother. To tell you the truth, there isn’t a single thing in Xunyang County that I don’t know. People call me the Pathfinder Rat. I may not dare claim to know everything that happens in the city, but I can certainly find out.”

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“Enough nonsense. Where is Linshan Abbey?”

The man immediately shut his mouth and answered hastily, “Linshan Abbey is beside Willow Lane, four or five streets from here. Go east. After crossing the first street, turn right and walk several dozen paces. You’ll see a large residence. Pass through the narrow lane beside it and keep going straight. Once you emerge from the lane, you’ll see a tall tower. When you get close to its base, Linshan Abbey will be right there.”

He really was a thief. He knew the roads so well that he could probably find his way with his eyes closed.

Having obtained the directions, Yi Fan wasted no time. With a flash, he vanished into the darkness.

Only after waiting a while and hearing no movement behind him did the thief finally relax and collapse limply onto the ground. Seeing that all his belongings were still there, he was utterly bewildered.

“What a strange world. Every year brings new oddities, but today has been exceptional. In the middle of the night, I actually met a swordsman who asked for directions. He didn’t even want my valuables—he only wanted directions. A man with a weaker heart would have been scared to death. Fortunately, this master is clever. Otherwise, my lifelong reputation would have ended here.”

Daring not to dwell on it, he hurriedly tied up his bundle. He was just about to knock when he again felt a chill at his neck.

His heart began to tremble.

Could he have run into another person asking for directions?

“Big brother, I won’t turn around. The valuables are all here. Take them and spare my life.”

As soon as he had said this, the thief feared he might have misspoken and hurried to add, “If you want directions, I can assure you, there isn’t a street in this city I don’t know.”

“All right. Shut your mouth.”

It was Yi Fan, who had returned.

After scolding him, Yi Fan continued, “You look like a thoroughly disreputable fellow. Who knows how many words you’ve spoken are true? Lead the way at once. If you utter even half a falsehood, I’ll take your head.”

Yi Fan had turned back because he feared the man might spout nonsense merely to save his life. If he later had to ask someone else for directions, he might end up intruding upon an ordinary household, which would cause considerable disturbance and perhaps lead to further trouble.

The thief stared blankly at him, feeling inexplicably wronged. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He might be a thief, but he valued his reputation. With a blade at his throat, however, he did not dare argue.

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