Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

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The paper sedan chair glided forward silently, three feet off the ground.

Four paper figures carried the sedan chair, their steps in unison, their paper limbs gleaming faintly white in the sunlight.

Chen Mo sat in the sedan chair, his back against the wall, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. The crack in his sea of ​​consciousness was still throbbing with pain.

Once outside the depression, the chill in the air lessened considerably.

The paper sedan chair passed through a forest of dead trees, and the terrain gradually rose.

Occasionally, birds fly overhead, their calls clear and melodious, sounding especially real in this gradually revitalizing mountain forest.

Standing on the ridgeline, the outline of Linhe County can already be seen.

The bluish-gray city walls gleamed faintly in the sunlight, and the roof tiles inside the city were layered upon each other, with wisps of smoke rising from a few chimneys.

It was already close to dusk.

Chen Mo lifted a corner of the sedan curtain and glanced outside; the sunlight was so bright that he squinted slightly.

After his appearance was damaged, even his Yin energy became somewhat disordered. When sunlight fell on his face, it felt like being pricked by fine needles.

He lowered the sedan curtain and closed his eyes again.

The paper sedan chair traveled for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the sound of water came from ahead.

The sedan chair was crossing a stone bridge, beneath which flowed the Willow River, its surface shimmering with light.

The willows on both banks drooped their branches, most of their leaves had already fallen, and the remaining ones were yellow and brittle, falling down with a rustling sound when the wind blew.

After crossing the bridge, we reached the county road, and in the distance, we began to see signs of human habitation.

Chen Mo stepped out of the sedan chair, raised his right hand, and used his fingertips to draw upon the Yin energy.

A pale purple light flashed by, and the four paper figures and paper sedan chairs simultaneously lost their vitality, instantly transforming back into a stack of thin paper pieces that floated lightly into his palm.

He put the piece of paper into his storage space and turned to walk towards the county town.

It's only two miles from here to the county town, there's no need to make a fuss about it.

Moreover, since the Dharma body is damaged, it's best to conserve some mental energy.

Willow trees were sparsely planted on both sides of the county road, and the road surface was compacted yellow soil.

In the distance, several traveling merchants, carrying loads on their shoulders, walked slowly.

A bamboo basket filled with dried goods hung from each end of the carrying pole, swaying with each step.

Chen Mo followed behind the group, walking at a moderate pace.

His clothes were torn in several places by dead branches during the fall, the cuffs were ripped, the hem was covered with mud and broken leaves, and there was a tear on his left shoulder, exposing the skin underneath.

He looked no different from the peasants outside the city who chopped wood and hunted.

Occasionally, a porter pushing a wheelbarrow would pass by on the road; he would glance at the porter, but no one would say a word.

These days, who isn't living in rags?

After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, more and more houses appeared on both sides of the county road. The road surface changed from yellow earth to stone slabs, and the buildings on both sides became neat and tidy, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and signs hanging on the lintels.

We've arrived in Linhe County.

By this time, the sun was already setting in the west, the light had become softer, and there were more pedestrians on the street than at noon.

A woman carrying a basket of groceries returns from shopping; an old man squats at the door smoking a pipe; children chasing and playing dart out of the alley, only to be called back by the adults behind them.

Chen Mo walked along the street, intending to take two turns through the alleys back to his residence.

"Chen Mo?"

A clear voice came from the diagonal front.

Chen Mo looked up and saw three men and one woman walking towards him. They were the same former classmates he had seen that morning, except for Xu Wanqing.

"Chen Mo, it really is you!"

Sun Wenyuan walked over in a few steps, looked him up and down, his gaze landing on his tattered clothes. He frowned slightly. "Where have you been?"

Li Weizhou also came closer, pinching his nose and taking a half-step back: "What's that smell on you? Did you fall into a mud puddle?"

Chen Mo's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Going to chop wood."

"Chopping wood?" Li Weizhou's voice rose a few decibels, but he was interrupted by Sun Wenyuan before he could say anything.

"Alright, alright."

He threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stubbed it out with his leather shoe. "You've come at the right time. It's my treat tonight at Juxianlou. You absolutely have to come."

He seemed to remember something, and his tone became more smug: "My cousin is back, the one I mentioned to you before, the one who works at the Jinshi Inspection Bureau."

"He's on vacation and at home these few days, so this is a good opportunity to introduce you two."

When he said this, he straightened his back a bit and spoke loudly, as if afraid that others wouldn't hear him.

"People in the inspection bureau have a lot of connections; it wouldn't hurt to get to know them."

After Sun Wenyuan finished speaking, he patted Chen Mo's shoulder, his palm landing on the tattered fabric on Chen Mo's shoulder. He paused slightly, then withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened.

Chen Mo looked at him and shook her head: "No, I'm dirty, it's inconvenient."

"What's inconvenient about that?" Sun Wenyuan laughed. "I can just go home, wash my face, and change my clothes. It's rare for my cousin to come back; this kind of opportunity doesn't come every day."

"Yes, Chen Mo, Brother Sun kindly introduced you to someone, don't be ungrateful. People from the Investigation Bureau are the kind of people you can't even meet if you want to."

Li Weizhou chimed in from the sidelines, but he was mostly just there to watch the show.

"Brother, if she doesn't want to go, that's fine. Why are you forcing her?" Sun Wenhui impatiently tugged at Sun Wenyuan's sleeve.

She glanced at Chen Mo, then quickly turned away, as if looking at him even once more would be too dirty.

"Thank you for your kindness, but really, it's not necessary." Chen Mo waved his hand, preparing to leave, without much emotion. "I'm injured, I should go back and rest."

Sun Wenyuan's smile faded slightly. He withdrew his hand from patting his shoulder and put it in his pocket. "Alright, if you change your mind, come find us anytime."

"Um."

Chen Mo nodded and walked past them.

.....

After he had walked away, Li Weizhou looked at Sun Wenyuan with a puzzled expression. "Your cousin came back specifically for the Xu family, didn't he? Why did he bring Chen Mo along?"

"Hehe, didn't Chen Mo like Xu Wanqing before? I want to see how he reacts, whether he can still be so calm."

Sun Wenyuan's tone was somewhat mischievous, as if he was waiting to see some good show.

How do you know he used to like Xu Wanqing?

The group was curious, and even Sun Wenhui couldn't help but widen her eyes.

He chuckled twice. "Is that even a question? Back in school, who couldn't see that?"

"Chen Mo borrows books from Xu Wanqing all the time. Today he borrows a copy of 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,' tomorrow he borrows a copy of 'Yue Wei.' It's obvious that he's just looking for an excuse to start a conversation."

"His thoughts are written all over his face."

"Hahaha, a toad trying to eat swan meat."

Li Weizhou seemed to have heard a joke. "Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? You're from a humble background, you didn't even finish school, and you still want to climb the social ladder by marrying into the Xu family?"

Sun Wenyuan, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, neither responded nor stopped him.

He squinted at the direction Chen Mo had disappeared in, exhaled a puff of smoke, and slowly flicked off his cigarette ash.

"Let's go, don't keep my cousin waiting."