Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 123 In a group of three, there must be one who can teach me.
When the convoy arrived at Nagano Castle, the members of the Six Doors went straight to the Prefect's Mansion, expecting to stay for half a day. Lin Jiang was not in a hurry to leave, so he decided to stay in the city and look around while waiting.

This place is more prosperous than other cities in the northwest. It is far from the desert and controls several important roads connecting to the outside world. All caravans must pass through this city.

Because of the strategic importance of Nagano Castle, Feng'ao Mountain had no choice but to establish a town at its foot. If it relied entirely on Nagano Castle for supplies, the stronghold would be difficult to gain traction if the Nagano governor made any slight obstruction.

Walking on the neatly paved bluestone slabs, Lin Jiang couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this place was completely different from other places just by looking at it.

Lin Jiang and his two companions walked along the road with a small ginseng root, looking for something to eat. However, after only a few steps, Lin Jiang sniffed the air.

He smelled a very familiar scent.

It was a slightly damp smell, the smell of water flowing over the soil.

It resembles rust and blood, yet it is lighter and more transparent.

Walking through the narrow alley between the two houses, the view suddenly opened up.

Before me stretched a half-dried riverbed, its exposed surface covered in mud and overgrown with weeds. Two or three water carriers hummed folk tunes as they waded across the shallows.

This river is less wild than the one in Chongqing, its gentle current barely nourishing the people living along its banks.

"Wow, there's a river here too!" Little Ginseng poked his head out from his sleeve. "I've been walking for so long and I didn't see one. I thought there wasn't a river at all."

“In Daxing, it would be difficult to develop into a large city if it were not near a water source,” Gong Xuan explained. “People can lack food and clothing, but they cannot live without a water source.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang also thought of his hometown, where the scenery was indeed similar to that of this place.

Just as I was pondering this, a folk song suddenly drifted on the wind:

“Cloud chariots and wind horses come from the east, thunderous drums resound, and the rain master is in attendance.”

Following the sound, one could see a Taoist figure setting up an altar by the water, using a gourd ladle to scoop water and affix talismans.

After singing these words, the Taoist priest turned and left, leaving only some servants to tidy up the altar.

Lin Jiang couldn't help but nudge Gong Xuan with his elbow:
"You're coming with me."

Gong Xuan stared at that spot for a while, then clapped his hands and laughed:

"Interesting, really interesting."

"How to say?"

"This is a rain-making technique, drawing water to create clouds and rain. The Northwest is often arid, and even well water is insufficient to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland, so we borrow rain from the heavens to replenish the earth's springs."

This is indeed quite different from what Lin Jiang knew about his past life.

After all, while many nobles in the kingdoms of the past often used the method of praying for rain, it was never really effective.
Ignoring what I was looking over there, I could smell a strong muttony odor in the air. Looking over, I found a place that made mutton offal noodles.

He then laughed and said:

"I'm going to try the noodles today, but be sure to add extra chili, otherwise they'll have a strong gamey smell."

……

As the sun began to set, the members of the Six Doors found Lin Jiang. They had already temporarily stored their cart in Nagano and were now traveling with the caravan.

This caravan heading to Kyoto consisted of fifteen wagons, with grain carts, cargo boxes, and armored escort wagons mixed among them, their embroidered flags fluttering in the wind, creating a rather impressive sight.

The head镖师 (镖师 is a type of镖师, a kind of镖师 who is very powerful and burly), wielding a palm-leaf fan, slapped his chest loudly with his large hand:

"Please rest assured, everyone! Our cultivation at the Fourth Heaven level is undeniable; even the most wicked would tremble at the mere mention of our name!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang was overjoyed:
With a master from the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm in charge, this trip is sure to be successful.

Gong Xuan's face turned red.

"Master, what's wrong?" the bodyguard asked Gong Xuan in confusion.

"It's nothing, I just had a little to drink and I'm a bit tipsy."

"Wine may be good, but don't overindulge."

"Indeed, indeed."

Gong Xuan agreed.

Lin Jiang then went to check on the merchants who were accompanying the group.

Most of them were unaware of Lin Jiang's group's identities, except for the middle-aged male businessman leading the group, who knew some of the inside story.

The somewhat dull-looking man lowered his posture considerably when he saw the group, barely daring to raise his head, and could only chuckle in a low voice:
"I hope you gentlemen have a smooth journey."

Before the pleasantries were over, the carriages and horses kicked up dust as they headed east, straight for the capital.

As this convoy drove off, Lin Jiang realized that several other groups were also leaving.

He probably figured it out in his heart.

This was probably prepared specifically by Jiang Jinyue.

It seems that the Six Doors' missions are not particularly safe. If they can go and pull out the General's teeth in the Northwest, the General can go and fight his way out of the Six Doors. Making a few more preparations is always much safer than a group of people returning to the capital alone.

However, the bodyguard guarding the carriage was clearly unaware of these circumstances, and he looked around at the vast procession and exclaimed, "Such a spectacle is truly rare."

As the carriage moved forward, Lin Jiang looked out from his carriage. To his left and right were two carriages from the Six Doors. The square-faced woman and her companions were on the left, and Jiang Jinyue and her companions were on the right. Outside, there were other escort carriages and caravans, very densely packed.

This was Lin Jiang's first time traveling with such a large procession, which added a lot of excitement and interest compared to riding alone in a carriage.

It wasn't bustling with the noise of the city; it felt more like a childhood outing.

The sounds of bodyguards boasting, merchants calculating, and officials from the Six Doors gossiping about trivial matters in the capital mingled around him. The sounds of the city created a rustic charm, and he could hardly appreciate the beauty of such liveliness without experiencing it firsthand.

While savoring the delicious food, she suddenly noticed the curtain of the neighboring carriage half-lifted, revealing Jiang Jinyue's beautiful face:
"Mr. Zhu."

"Girl, please speak."

"Don't you still have ginseng spirits and retainers by your side?"

Before Lin Jiang could respond, Chen Dajiang, who was driving, interrupted to correct him:
"It's the guard! The pillar of the family!" Lin Jiang reached out through the carriage curtain and patted Chen Dajiang, who then shut up.

"Miss Jiang asked them what was on their minds?"

"When I teach you martial arts tonight, call those two along," Jiang Jinyue said. "Instructing one person is the same as instructing three."

"Thank you so much, Miss Jiang!" Lin Jiang was overjoyed.

Jiang Jinyue's willingness to teach more of Lin Jiang's associates is a good thing.

"And another thing," Jiang Jinyue thought for a moment, "didn't you seize Bai Zifeng's axe before? If you want to learn this kind of long-handled military strategy, I can teach you."

Lin Jiang originally intended to give the axe to Kang Shazi, but Kang Shazi wasn't very interested in it, and no one else wanted it either. Lin Jiang also felt it was a waste to throw it away, so he simply put it in his pocket.

After all, this is one of the few weapons that can remain intact even after being slashed repeatedly.

"Thank you so much, young lady."

"It was just a small favor. You're just like those literati in the capital, always spouting all sorts of polite phrases and flowery thanks that are tiresome to hear."

“Of course, I must express my gratitude.” Lin Jiang was quite insistent on this point.

Jiang Jinyue rolled her eyes. She and Lin Jiang weren't exactly compatible in terms of personality, so she lowered the carriage curtain.

……

That evening, the large caravan camped in the wilderness, and as they traveled out of the northwest region, the vegetation gradually became lush.

With such a large caravan cooking over a fire, the atmosphere became much more lively.

More than ten bonfires illuminated the night sky. The team's cook dug a hole in the ground to make a stove, set up an iron pot, fetched water, and cooked. The outdoor cooking in the wilderness was simple and rustic, and hot soup with bread was a rare treat.

On Lin Jiang's side, the aroma of meat wafted through the air. Roasted chicken and braised pork hock, freshly replenished from town supplies, were still wrapped in oil paper, while wild rabbits hunted by the Six Doors were sizzling with oil. The bodyguards, munching on their dry rations, craned their necks to steal glances, their Adam's apples bobbing in unison.

Lin Jiang simply scooped out two ladles of meat soup and distributed them, prompting the burly men to eat their bread with the soup and mumble their thanks.

The burly head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) accepted the soup, thanked him, and then reprimanded his men:
"How can I eat my employer's meat soup for free! Next time, I'll hunt pheasants for him!"

The young men under his command responded loudly.

Seeing that his fellow bodyguards also felt like chatting, Lin Jiang sat down and asked them a few more questions:
“The guys all look young.”

"Don't let our youth fool you, we're quite capable!"

Several young men exposed their arms and started slapping their well-developed muscles.
“Every day, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) would take us running through the mountains and make us lift huge rocks!”

"I can lift really heavy things! I can even run while holding them!"

"It's not like anyone can't do it."

The young men were chatting and laughing happily, and Lin Jiang chimed in from the side:

“That’s amazing!”

After the meal, the two groups clearly split into two factions.

The bodyguards gathered together, the caravans gathered together, and Lin Jiang and his group gathered together.

It's the kind of distance where if something really happens, you can get there in just a couple of steps, and if nothing happens, it won't affect each other.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Jiang brought Chen Dajiang and Xiaoshanshen to find Jiang Jinyue. Jiang Jinyue led the group to a secluded spot.

Before practicing, we need to explore the basics. Lin Jiang goes without saying for now; Jiang Jinyue has already reviewed his fundamentals.

Xiao Shanshen was also on the battlefield at the time, and Jiang Jinyue had seen most of his skills.

Only Chen Dajiang remains whose background is currently unknown.

So Jiang Jinyue asked Chen Dajiang to show off his skills first.

Chen Dajiang grabbed his whistle stick and, with a fierce and powerful air, unleashed a flurry of "Hey-ha" dance moves.

Chen Dajiang quickly finished twirling the stick, and Jiang Jinyue nodded and said:

"Your foundation is quite solid, but you lack the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. If you encounter a true master, you might be tricked into making a move. I'll teach you some ways to deal with that."

Jiang Jinyue cleared her throat and began to explain according to each person's shortcomings.

The ginseng was placed in Lin Jiang's hand, and his excitement was genuine.

This is a lesson taught by a master; the content would be written in three or four paragraphs in a sketchbook!

The two studied together on the same mountain, and Chen Dajiang made the fastest progress. Although he was dull and not very bright, he had the best basic skills and was honest and willing to listen, so he naturally picked things up quickly.

Secondly, Xiaoshancan was too young, and Jiang Jinyue couldn't teach her many techniques. She could only teach Xiaoshancan some tactical thinking, telling her where to hit to hurt the most, which Xiaoshancan benefited greatly from.

As for Lin Jiang,

He did run into some trouble.

His fist technique was alright, but when he came into contact with this long-handled axe, his lack of basic skills became apparent. No matter how he swung, he couldn't hit the mark, and Jiang Jinyue could easily break his form with a single stab.

I'm afraid I'll have to spend more time practicing.

As the moon passed its zenith, the shouts from the woods gradually subsided.

As the moon rose high in the sky, the two men and the ginseng, having reaped a bountiful harvest under Jiang Jinyue's guidance, headed back to their camp to rest.

But as soon as they arrived at the camp, they saw Gong Xuan frowning and looking around, holding a talisman in his hand.

"What happened?" Lin Jiang asked as he quickly stepped forward.

"Young Master." Gong Xuan pointed to the ground, where several merchants were sleeping on mats, their brows furrowed and faces ashen.
"Their souls have gone astray."

(End of this chapter)