Chapter 205: Jin Shan Zhao

Chapter 205: Jin Shanzhao

The ox cart creaked and groaned as it slowly moved forward.

Li Huowang and his group walked alongside the oxen, continuing on their path.

Some of their luggage was loaded onto several ox carts, lightening everyone's load, their appearances less haggard than before.

These new tools had been purchased recently by Sun Baolu when they passed through a town earlier.

After all, they still had a long journey ahead, and such essential tools could not be lacking.

Jin Shanzhao still carried his bamboo basket on his back, humming a tune from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at the lush green grass surrounding them lifted his spirits considerably.

Such beautiful scenery was unseen in the heart of Later Shu; it seemed they were nearly there.

He opened his hand-drawn map once more, recalibrating their current position.

"Hmm... walk for a few more days, roughly, and we should pass the checkpoint."

He put the map away again, clasped his hands, and congratulated Li Huowang: "Zhenren, we are about to leave the pass. Congratulations, congratulations."

"Once we leave the pass and enter the territory of Qingqiu, we will be completely safe."

Li Huowang, who was reading the "Classic of Deception," lifted his head to glance at him, then buried himself in the book again.

"Where do you plan to go? Do you intend to follow us through Qingqiu to the State of Liang?"

"No, this old man will not go to Qingqiu; once I deliver you all to the checkpoint, I will return."

"Return? Return where? Are you not afraid of being captured by others?"

Jin Shanzhao smiled confidently. "It matters not; this old man still has means to protect himself."

Li Huowang sized up the man before him again; no matter how he looked, he seemed to be bragging.

Earlier he had been so frightened by the thief-soldiers he nearly wet his pants, yet now he was putting on airs again.

Just as the two were chatting, a village appeared ahead.

They did not all enter; instead, only Jin Shanzhao and Li Huowang went to purchase grain.

Two people were not too conspicuous, and besides, Jin Shanzhao had a way with words, suitable for dealing with farmers hostile to outsiders.

Li Huowang did not plan to stay here, intending to replenish their food and pass through Later Shu as quickly as possible.

Though this was more exhausting, with pursuers behind them, there was no room for particularity.

Just after entering the village, Li Huowang smelled a distinct odor.

He followed the scent and saw a pigsty, a pigsty built beneath a house.

Seeing what these black-haired pigs were eating, Li Huowang's voice began to tremble.

"They... do they feed pigs this way here too?"

Triggered by the scene, looking at what lay before him, he remembered Abbess Jingxin, who had died lying in a pigsty within Anci Nunnery.

"Hmm? Why does Zhenren say this? Are pigs not fed this way? That is why this old man never eats dog meat or pork, because pigs and dogs are both feces-eating beasts."

Li Huowang quickly suppressed the emotions in his heart and turned his head to look at him.

"What did you say? Do others feed pigs this way, all of them?"

"Naturally, for thousands of years they have been fed this way."

Jin Shanzhao squatted down, picked up a stone, and began writing stroke by stroke on the soft earth.

He wrote the character 'Jia' properly and uprightly; even using a stone as a tool, the writing was very beautiful.

"Jia." This was the character he had written.

"Zhenren, look, this 'Mian' above represents a house, this 'Shi' below represents a pig."

"House above, pig below, this is 'Jia' (Home)."

"From this character, one can see that at least since ancient times, pigs were fed with filth."

"Reading characters to understand meaning, actually, if you ponder carefully, some things are hidden within these words."

Looking at the character 'Jia' on the ground, Li Huowang slowly squatted down, gently tracing it with his finger.

"So this is home... it seems I misunderstood the Abbess before."

Recalling the bits and pieces of the past, the corners of Li Huowang's eyes moistened slightly.

That place had once been the only spot where he could feel warmth in this mad world, but that place was gone forever.

"Zhenren?" Jin Shanzhao saw that Li Huowang's mood was somewhat off and stepped back slightly.

Having spent so much time together, he had long noticed something odd; though he possessed various supernatural abilities, this Zhenren's mind seemed troubled.

Li Huowang scraped the earth beside it with his finger, burying the character 'Jia', and then stood up immediately.

He looked squarely at Jin Shanzhao before him again, this old man who looked very ordinary.

"Old sir, your identity is not ordinary, is it?"

Literacy was not common among ordinary folks, let alone writing characters so beautifully with a pebble.

Jin Shanzhao froze there, weighing something in his mind.

"I saved your life, and you won't even tell me this? Forget it, forget it, if you don't want to say it, let's just go find a farmer to buy grain."

Just as Li Huowang turned and walked a few steps, Jin Shanzhao's voice rang out from behind.

"Very well, it is no harm to tell Zhenren; this old man is actually a disciple of the School of Diplomacy."

"School of Diplomacy?" Li Huowang slowly turned around, looking at him with confusion. These three characters were very strange to him.

Having revealed his identity, Jin Shanzhao's entire person became invigorated.

"The four seasons open and close to transform all things vertically and horizontally; either uniting many weak to attack one strong, this is Vertical; or serving one strong to attack many weak, this is Horizontal. This is Zongheng."

Under Jin Shanzhao's continuous explanation, Li Huowang also learned what the School of Diplomacy was.

To put it plainly, it was a special profession that emerged in the special environment of numerous small states.

In Jin Shanzhao's own words, it was wisdom and strategy, indispensable advisors beside every monarch.

Helping monarchs devise strategies, forming vertical and horizontal alliances.

But from Li Huowang's understanding, these were clever people jumping left and right between various small states using their eloquence.

"Knowing the big picture, good at deduction, fluent in debate, understanding flexibility, complete in wisdom and courage, skilled in strategy, capable of decision, this is us disciples of Zongheng."

Seeing Jin Shanzhao looking as if his tail were sticking up to the sky, Li Huowang spoke to interrupt.

"You are so powerful, why didn't you use one tongue to battle three armies when you met that woman before?"

Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Jin Shanzhao's face.

"Sigh~ As the saying goes, when a scholar meets soldiers, reason cannot be made clear, let alone with the thief-soldiers of Later Shu."

"Hehe." Li Huowang turned and walked towards the village, and Jin Shanzhao hurried to follow.

"Zhenren, I know you do not trust this old man. But it matters not; after Zhenren safely leaves Later Shu, then attend to your own business."

"Lest I reveal the Real Person's whereabouts."

"Since the Real Person saved my life, I shall surely repay such kindness with a gushing spring. Once I assume the post of envoy in Later Shu—"

"After all this talk, it turns out you have no lord yet? Does that not make you merely an unemployed wanderer?"

"Soon, soon. Once this old man rises again and holds office in Later Shu, I shall never forget the Real Person."

"Very well, we shall speak of it when the time comes, though I suspect by then I shall have long reached the Kingdom of Liang."

All had been well enough, yet the relaxed atmosphere of their idle chatter was severed by Li Huowang's hand suddenly gripping his sword hilt.

"Real... Real Person?" Jin Shanzhao followed Li Huowang's gaze to the eaves, where several black earthenware jars stood, each adorned with a large, inverted red character for Fortune.

(End of Chapter)