Chapter 60: Guanyang City

Xiao Jin looked at Lu Fengmian’s profile, at his gentle and patient manner, and a complicated emotion surged within his heart.

Senior Brother was that kind of person.

He treated everyone the same.

He had treated that old man that way, and he treated an idler like him the same as well.

He lowered his head and continued pushing the cart.

After walking for some time, the dirt road ahead turned into a stone-paved path.

In the distance, the outline of a city gradually came into view.

The city walls were not tall, built of blue bricks entwined with creeping vines. The city gates stood wide open; several guards leaned against the base of the wall basking in the sun, indifferent to the occasional passersby entering and leaving.

Above the gate were carved three characters: “Guanyang City.”

The old man stopped and turned to the two of them. “Immortals, we’ve arrived at Guanyang City.”

The dozing guards by the wall slowly raised their heads at the sound of footsteps. The moment they saw Old Chen pushing his cart, smiles immediately spread across their faces.

“Old Chen! Selling melons again?”

Old Chen chuckled. “That’s right, that’s right! The watermelons this season are big and sweet. Want to try one?”

The guard’s eyes lit up. He leaned over the cart, picked the largest melon, and hugged it in his arms.

“This one! Weigh it for me!”

Old Chen lifted the melon, placed it on the scale beside him, and quoted the price. The guard quickly fished out some coins, and several colleagues who had been sunning themselves nearby gathered around, clamoring loudly.

“Old Zhang’s treating us today! Hurry up and cut it!”

“Cut more—don’t be stingy!”

The guard laughed and cursed jokingly, then squatted to one side to slice the watermelon. Soon a circle formed around them, everyone devouring the slices with juice splashing across their faces, their laughter audible from afar.

Old Chen tucked the copper coins into his pocket and walked back with a smile.

“Forgive my lack of decorum,” he said as he walked. “Our Guanyang City is a small town; there aren’t many travelers passing through, so most people know one another. The guards aren’t busy either, so they usually help pass along goods or watch stalls and the like.”

Lu Fengmian nodded and looked down the street inside the city.

The interior presented a different scene.

Shops lined both sides of the street, selling cloth, ironware, steamed buns, sugar figurines—everything one could think of. The cries of hawkers mingled with children’s laughter, and an atmosphere of bustling, ordinary life washed over them.

Most of the passersby wore coarse cloth garments; occasionally a few were dressed in brocade, yet they appeared entirely mortal. Lu Fengmian scanned his surroundings and detected no fluctuations of spiritual power.

It seemed few cultivators ever passed through this city.

After crossing several streets, Old Chen finally stopped at a bustling intersection.

“This is it.” He took the cart handle back from Xiao Jin. “Thank you both for your help.”

The place was already crowded with stalls—vegetables, meat, sewing supplies—all squeezed together. Old Chen found an empty space and parked his cart.

Lu Fengmian smiled and waved his hand. “Old sir, you’re too polite. We should be the ones thanking you for showing us the way.”

Seeing him like this, Old Chen felt even more certain that this immortal was extraordinary. He glanced at the pile of watermelons stacked high on the cart, bent down, and picked the largest one, stuffing it into Xiao Jin’s arms before he could refuse.

“Take it, take it! My treat!”

Holding the watermelon, Xiao Jin was at a loss and instinctively looked toward Lu Fengmian.

“How could we possibly accept—” Lu Fengmian began.

“Oh, what’s there to be shy about!” Old Chen interrupted with a broad smile. “These melons can’t compare to immortal nectar and jade dew. They’re worthless, just a token of my gratitude. If you two immortals don’t mind, have a taste—see what a mortal’s melon tastes like!”

Seeing the sincerity on his face, Lu Fengmian swallowed the words he had been about to say.

“Then many thanks, old sir.”

Old Chen nodded in satisfaction and waved them off again. “Go find a place to rest! The inn in the east of the city is good—clean and cheap!”

Lu Fengmian inclined his head and left with Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin glanced at the watermelon in his arms, then at Lu Fengmian’s back.

With Senior Brother around, everything seemed to resolve itself effortlessly.

Even after narrowly escaping death in the secret realm, even after being teleported to an unfamiliar place, even with his injuries not yet healed, he still carried himself with that unhurried composure, as though nothing could trouble him.

Carrying the melon, Xiao Jin followed behind him, inexplicably feeling at ease.

Lu Fengmian did not head straight to the inn Old Chen had mentioned.

He stopped at a street corner, surveyed his surroundings, then walked in a certain direction.

It was a shop with a sign hanging outside that read: “Shunhe Currency Exchange.”

“Wait here for a moment,” he said.

Xiao Jin nodded, holding the melon as he stood by the door.

Before long, Lu Fengmian emerged carrying a heavy money pouch.

He tucked it into his sleeve and beckoned to Xiao Jin. “Let’s go.”

Xiao Jin followed him back the way they had come.

After walking a while, he realized the street looked familiar—it was the very street where Old Chen had set up his stall.

Lu Fengmian stopped at the mouth of an alley and looked across the street.

Old Chen sat beside his cart, fanning himself lazily with a cattail-leaf fan. When someone approached to ask about the price, he greeted them with a smile. When no one came, he chatted with the vegetable-selling aunt next to him.

Several children gathered nearby, staring longingly at the watermelons on the cart.

Lu Fengmian halted at the corner and did not step forward.

He took a few copper coins from his sleeve and flicked them lightly with his fingers.

The coins flew soundlessly and landed neatly inside Old Chen’s open pocket.

Old Chen was still chatting, completely unaware.

Satisfied, Lu Fengmian withdrew his hand and turned to leave.

After a few steps, he realized Xiao Jin had not followed.

Turning back, he saw Xiao Jin staring at him with wide eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao Jin opened his mouth, then looked toward the old man across the street who was still chatting.

“Senior Brother, when you went to exchange money just now, was it for…”

Lu Fengmian smiled in explanation. “It’s not easy for the old man to grow melons. We didn’t help him much, so simply accepting his watermelon felt rather embarrassing.”

Xiao Jin looked at him and sighed inwardly.

He truly was worthy of being Senior Brother.

So thoughtful.

Xiao Jin nodded vigorously and hurried to catch up.

The inn in the eastern part of the city was not difficult to find.

It was a two-story building of blue bricks and gray tiles. A faded wooden sign hung outside, bearing the four characters “Ping’an Inn.” The entrance was swept clean, and a string of red lanterns hung beneath the eaves.

Lu Fengmian pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman, head lowered as she worked an abacus. Hearing the movement, she raised her head and let her gaze fall upon the two of them.

“Honored guests, are you here for a meal or lodging?”

Lu Fengmian walked up to the counter. “Lodging. Two superior rooms.”

The woman briskly took out two keys. “Thirty wen per day, including hot water. How many days will you stay?”

“For now, just one night.”

She nodded, accepted the money, then removed two keys from the wall and handed them over.

“Upstairs, turn left—the first two rooms. Hot water will be delivered in the evening. Breakfast is served downstairs. If you need anything, just call.”

Lu Fengmian took the keys and went upstairs with Xiao Jin.

The rooms were not large, but they were indeed clean. The beds were neatly made, the quilts folded properly, and the windows stood open. A gentle breeze drifted in, carrying with it the faint cries of vendors from the street below.