Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 123 The Rich People of Qiantang

Pushing open the unpainted old wooden door produced a creaking sound.

A shabby threshold, worn-out blue bricks, sparse saplings, an old water vat—Xu Xuan has returned.

A carriage arrived shortly after the door was opened.

The academy came to provide warmth, bringing daily necessities such as firewood, rice, and cooking oil.

Don't be fooled by the low price; it has a very caring feel to it.

The old professor, with his large family fortune, naturally didn't care, but receiving these gifts represented a sense of respect.

Older single men like Xu Xuan really need these things, since he's not good at shopping at the market.

Of course, in addition to these, there are also high-quality meats such as venison and bear meat.

At least most of the New Year's goods don't need to be bought anymore.

People nearby were secretly envious when they saw this; they wondered how much smoke must be rising from the Xu family's ancestral graves.

Why did so many official media outlets fail to properly introduce Scholar Xu back then?

Then another convoy arrived, this time from the county government, escorted by Zhao Hu himself.

These items were no longer bribes from Lei Huan, but rather legitimate ownerless property.

It's like the kind you pick up from the ground.

County Commandant Zhao, as a professional in charge of public security, conducted a brief assessment of the area.

Looking at the treasures piled up in the small courtyard and rooms, the somewhat drafty courtyard, and the wooden door that any ruffian could kick open, he was quite speechless.

All I can say is that Mr. Xu's hobbies are truly unique.

He didn't say anything more. The big shot who could get Magistrate Song to send him money must have a way of keeping it safe. Maybe this place was just a cover.

You guessed it right.

Originally, Song Youde wanted to give Xu Xuan a house in the city as a private gift, but Xu Xuan politely declined.

He doesn't plan to move this small courtyard. As for security, he can ask Teacher Bai to set up a simple formation later.

Just be wary of petty thieves; the real treasure will be returned to the Third Affiliated Hospital.

There, the aura of Chongqi protects the place, along with little monsters who study every day. At times, Master Ruoxu, a special bigwig from the Pure Land Sect, also guards it. Occasionally, you can even encounter the great human demon Bai Suzhen and the White Lotus Demon who has been stationed there for many years.

With this setup, it can be considered a new sacred ground for sects. Even if Lu Pan entered upright, he would have to leave horizontally.

"County Lieutenant Zhao, have there been any unusual criminal cases in Qiantang recently?"

Xu Xuan took the opportunity to inquire about the security situation.

Even if nothing happens at the academy, things can't remain peaceful down the mountain.

As the year draws to a close, the interplay of various desires may unearth some evil and wicked individuals.

"Reporting to Young Master Xu, all is well under the jurisdiction of Qiantang, and the people are at peace. With a clean government and harmonious society, even thieves have no reason to thieves."

Um, I was just asking casually, why are you using such a complicated set of terms?

Magistrate Song was probably spurred on by his promotion, and he gave his subordinates some instructions.

Of course, Zhao Hu's attitude also shows that nothing serious really happened.

It looks like we'll have a good year ahead.

After the county government officials finished moving the valuables, they respectfully withdrew under Zhao Hu's leadership.

Xu Xuan quickly tidied up and went out to buy New Year's goods the next day.

The moment I stepped outside, a biting wind hit me; the weather is getting colder and colder.

In ancient times, the average temperature in Qiantang was two to four degrees lower than it is now. The sky was already covered with a leaden gloom, and it was unknown when it would snow.

The chilling wind felt like an invisible blade piercing to the bone, yet before dawn, the outside was bustling with activity.

Looking at the bustling crowd, Xu Hanwen was finally able to calmly utter those words.

"Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times, with willows and painted bridges, wind-blown curtains and green screens, and hundreds of thousands of households."

Liu Yong truly deserves to be called a literary figure who "perfectly describes the peaceful and prosperous atmosphere," as he can utter brilliant lines from both ancient and modern times at will.

If Teacher Xu could only offer one compliment, it would be: "There are so many people."

"Mr. Xu, let's go grocery shopping. The radishes at Huiding Temple are on sale today." "No, no, I don't want to buy any."

If you have money, you should eat meat, you should eat kidneys, and you should spend money on expensive things.

What the heck is this white radish?

My vital energy flows through all my orifices, why would I need to circulate it?

"Master Xu, your complexion looks rosy; why not buy a jar?"

The pharmacy clerk jumped out, thinking that now that Mr. Xu was wealthy, he probably needed the medicine even more.

Xu sneered, "Do you even know what it means for someone to have entered the Dao body to not easily damage their vital energy?"

Then I turned around and went into the store to see if there were any suitable ginseng supplements or the like. Don't misunderstand, I was preparing them for when I visited Master Li during my annual leave.

The favor of the recommendation letter has already been repaid, but the friendship with the Seven Stars Big Dipper Sword still needs to be maintained.

This sword has been with him through countless bloody battles, killing demonic monks, slaying water demons, and even stabbing to death a god of the underworld.

If a suitable opportunity arises in the future, it should be returned to the Li family.

Ginseng, deer antler, tiger bone, snow lotus—buy whatever is expensive.

Actually, the treasures in my own house are even better than these, but sending them to the Li family would bring disaster upon them.

Then I bought pepper wine, sticky rice cakes, and some vegetables, which are essential for the Chinese New Year.

After buying things, Xu Xuan gained a profound understanding of his wealth: he was too rich, with a feeling that he could never spend it all.

It's a pity that after entering the path, I detached myself from some of my base desires; otherwise, I would have been so happy.

After wandering around for a while, I still couldn't find anyone selling peach charms. I had to buy some.

The Book of Rites, Tan Gong II, states: "When a ruler attends the funeral of a subject, he uses a shaman to perform rituals involving peach wood, thatch, and spears, which is considered inauspicious."

Zhuangzi said, “Place a peach branch at the door and hang ashes underneath it. A child will enter without fear, but a ghost will fear it.”

The special properties of peach wood are also mentioned in the "Strategies of the Warring States" and "Zuo Zhuan".

Sages, Taoists, and other influential figures personally promoted the products and even wrote about them in books, thus passing them down through generations.

Its wide reach and long duration easily led to the formation of a traditional custom.

Anyway, every household will hang this thing on the first day of the new year.

Xu Xuan casually pulled over a scholar to ask what was going on.

As a top figure among the scholars of Qiantang, there is no one who doesn't know Instructor Xu.

The reason is not complicated: there is too little peach wood suitable for making peach charms.

Not to mention the North, there have been many supernatural and ghostly things happening in the South these years. Everyone knows that peach trees can ward off evil spirits, so the old peach trees on the mountain have been almost all cut down.

Many people, unable to obtain peach wood charms, would break off a peach tree branch and hang it in their home.

The decline of Tao and the rise of Demons have led to a shortage of special resources.

Xu Xuan thought back and realized that he had never hung peach charms on his old wooden door.

Should we give up? It's not impossible.

I am already a practitioner, so hanging this is just for the sake of creating an atmosphere.

"That's what the scholar said at this moment."

"Instructor Xu, there's a Taoist priest exchanging peach charms at the entrance of the Ji Family Restaurant, just two streets ahead. He doesn't accept money, he only wants blessings."

"You can go and take a look."

oh~~~
Such an interesting thing is definitely worth checking out.

From a distance, it looked like a crowd had gathered, and Xu Xuan, with his unparalleled cultivation, squeezed to the front line to watch the drama unfold.

He wore a dark Taoist robe and a Qing crown, his eyes shone with an unusual color, and he held a talisman brush in his hand.

It turns out he was the Ji family's retainer, that Taoist priest Mao.

A poor-looking couple knelt before the table and shakily pulled out a bamboo dragonfly.

(End of this chapter)