Chapter Thirty-Six: The Su Family

  Although Fang Ming estimated that the people from Baiyun Temple were about to arrive, he didn't expect that a sudden event would disrupt his plans.

  "What? Say it again?"

  Fang Ming still felt a bit strange and asked Xia Jiang to carefully recount the message.

  "I report to Your Excellency, according to my family's information, Su Xia and the Su family will come to Anchang County on July 5th to offer their art. At this time, Anchang County is already overcrowded, and there are also young masters and scholars from all over Wen Chang Prefecture who are constantly rushing here, with more people arriving every day. It's really difficult to accurately verify them, I hope Your Excellency will forgive me!" Zhou Si said with a bitter smile, his eyes filled with some expectation.

  Su Xia, a remarkable woman, was renowned for her qin skills and praised as "her sound is clear, like the autumn moon, like the clarity of the river, like the coldness of the pool, thousands of miles away, it's refreshing and penetrating". Also known as "like gold and stone in harmony, silk and bamboo playing together, listening to it makes one forget fatigue". She was called a master of qin.

  According to legend, this woman was born with a beautiful appearance and talent, but she emerged from the muddy world unsoiled. She once performed in the imperial capital, captivating thousands of people with one song. She came and went without being bothered by trivial matters, having deep connections with many famous scholars and high-ranking officials of her time. Among them, there was someone named Shui Shen who made Fang Ming somewhat apprehensive.

  Anchang County was originally located in a remote area, with little traffic to and from other places. Fang Ming's current strength is enough to monitor the traffic, as long as someone from Baiyun Temple arrives in Anchang, they will be discovered, and at that time, they can take control of the situation and make arrangements at their leisure.

  Unexpectedly, at this time, Su Daizhi came to Anchang to perform, and the crowd was like a mountain and sea, but it was too late for surveillance.

  "An Chang lives in seclusion, why would Na Su's family come here to offer their art?" Fang Ming seemed to be asking, yet also seemed to be muttering to himself.

  "Your Excellency, I happen to know a bit about this. It's said that Su Shi is traveling the world to collect music scores and hone his skills, even declining an official position at the imperial Pear Garden. He travels lightly with a small entourage, visiting various places and performing wherever he goes. He has already performed dozens of times, and it's said that some people have followed him all the way from the capital without missing a single performance!"

  Although so, Fang Ming still felt that this matter was not so simple, and furrowed his brow.

  "My lord... I would like to request a day off!" Zhou Si suddenly said.

  "You... wouldn't want to go appreciate his piano skills too?" Fang Ming was startled and realized that he had still somewhat underestimated the influence of everyone in this era.

  "How can such a wonderful thing be missed?" Zhou Si retorted, with an air of confidence and righteousness.

  Fang Ming couldn't help but smile wryly, and said: "The county's laws are strict, you gods can't enter, or else it will greatly harm your divine bodies!"

  There are people in the county who say that the aura operation is guarded, and from Fang Ming to now, there are only about 2,000 followers in the county. To this extent, he can come and go freely, and officials like Wang Zhong and Xie Jin don't have any problems, but the subordinate gods will still be affected.

  "Alas......" The emotions of regret and longing overflowed from his words.

  "Alas..." Fang Ming got up and came to the backyard garden, where he saw lush trees and vibrant flowers in full bloom. Although it was summer, there was a refreshing coolness throughout the garden, which was a marvel of the Buddhist realm, making one feel as if they were in an immortal paradise. However, at this moment, the vibrant colors of the flowers seemed to bring no joy whatsoever.

  Fang Ming strolled casually and came to a bamboo forest, where there was a small pavilion in the woods, which had a few hints of seclusion.

  A person in the pavilion is boiling tea and admiring flowers.

  Fang Ming walked over, smiling and said: "Sir is truly carefree and leisurely, I wonder if I'm disturbing you?"

  This man was extremely elegant, stood up and bowed, it turned out to be He Yaqing.

  "This garden is excellent, but Mr. He still likes this pavilion the most. In front of the respected god, he can't help but feel joyful, why bother to disturb him?" He Yuqing poured another cup of clear tea and asked Fang Ming to drink it.

  "Let the gods try me with this 'Cloud Summit Hairpin'!"

  Fang Ming saw the mist rising to the top of the cup, the soup was clear and light yellow, with a rich and sweet flavor, fragrant as orchid, and a lingering aftertaste. Even he, who wasn't particularly good at tasting tea, couldn't help but exclaim "Good!"

  "Hehe......" He Yuqing smiled and said: "This tea is complicated to make, especially when it comes to the timing of the brewing, in order to bring out its best flavor. Even in my family, we can't drink it often. The gods use their divine power to transform all things, and fill our mouths with blessings..."

  Fang Ming took another sip before saying: "I was thinking of going to find you, sir, but I didn't expect to run into you here. There's something on my mind that I'd like to ask for your advice on."

  "Please, Honored Sir, speak!" He Yaqing's face turned serious as he said this.

  "Sir, do you know Su Xia and her family?" Fang Ming didn't hesitate and told him everything.

  "Su Da Ya! I've long admired your great name, heard that your qin skills are unparalleled, unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to see it for myself!" He Yuqing said with emotion.

  Fang Ming's face sank, and he hastily said: "However, his mother is said to have been involved with a certain Taoist sect and died of illness in her early years. Su Xia has Hou Bai, the 'Romantic Swordsman' of that year, as her guard, who was allegedly captivated by her music and willingly became her servant."

  "Oh!" Fang Ming became interested, but continued to ask, and the news about He Yuqing was just that much. His family was a county expectation, not a noble family, and his hand couldn't reach as far as the imperial capital.

  Fang Ming stood up and walked a few steps, muttering to himself: "Su Xia... Baiyun Temple..." He savored the words carefully, feeling that there was something mysterious about them.

  The jade balance that Zheng Fangming had been thinking about had also arrived in Anchang County.

  He dragged Su Xia's good fortune, Yu Heng was very careful again, changed into a Confucian shirt, rode on the head of a donkey, and became like a poor scholar who admired Su Xia and came to see her beauty.

  People like this are not uncommon these days, but they don't say much. Fang Ming's subordinate didn't have the aura of a divine being, yet he managed to sneak Yu Heng into the county town and found a small inn for him to stay in.

  They opened a room, and the waiter brought up hot water, wine and dishes, including roasted chicken, white pork, several vegetarian stir-fries, and a bowl of soup. The aroma was enticing and appetizing. Dao Men didn't say anything about not eating meat, so Yuheng gave the waiter a few coins as a tip and let him leave.

  Yu Heng has refined his skills to the point of entering the realm of avoiding grains, but in daily life, he still needs to replenish his energy with food essence. At this time, when going down the mountain, there is no need to worry about it.

  Only after Yuheng waited for Guan to close the door and saw that there was no one around did he furrow his brow.

  "What was that thing on the road just now? It seemed like a ghost, but it wasn't a ghost. Nor was it an evil spirit or a malevolent entity. The faith in the land god in this city is also quite strange. This place is indeed very bizarre!"

  Yu Heng opened his spiritual eye and naturally saw the ghostly class, he saw the scouts sent by Fang Ming on the road, but he was cautious by nature and didn't want to startle the snake in the grass. Moreover, he didn't even go to the White Water Temple, fearing being monitored.

  "And besides, Su Xia actually came, it's really..."

  Yu Heng vaguely knew Su Xia's identity, and when he thought of what his master said before going down the mountain that Wu Long was in the south, it made him even more frightened.

  "Unexpectedly, just arrived in Anchang, I have to use this trick..." Yu Heng sighed bitterly.

  He only saw him take out two talismans from his bosom, fold them a few times, and turn into two paper cranes. Yu Heng whispered a few words to the paper cranes, then pinched a key and said, "Go!"

  The paper crane seemed to have gained spirituality, flapping and flying up, shining and flowing, passing through the window from one direction to two directions.

  This is the White Cloud's secret transmission, Flying Crane's book transmission. If it's not a true transmission, it can't be used. The paper crane has divine power attached to it, ordinary people can't see it, and it can also fly thousands of miles in a day, surpassing the green bird delivering messages.

  One of them flew into the city to Bai Shui Guan, informing himself that he had arrived and telling Bai He not to make any rash moves, let alone come to pay his respects.

  Another, however, flew directly to the Shanmen, Su Xia presented her art, but there was no news in the door, although the worldly disciples did not know Su Xia's identity and did not report it. But the person in charge of the message is also highly suspicious, just as Wu Long was born, he had to be careful.

  Yu Heng watched as the paper crane flew away, his gaze seemingly following it, emitting a faint glow...

  Before long, it was the night of July 5th, and the county town was crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder.

  Su Da and others arrived in Anchang County yesterday. It is said that they received a grand reception from the county magistrate Wei Zhun, and all personnel stayed at the county government office.

  The magistrate of Wei County heard that he had a pleasant conversation with Su's family, so he personally booked the entire guest house and dispatched bailiffs to maintain order, thus avoiding any trouble.

  The reception hall has been greatly renovated, with the floors connected and opened up, vermilion lacquer and jade-colored decorations, and light silk drapes hanging from the beams. Fresh flowers were also specially ordered from high mountains to decorate the entire building, giving it a unique elegance.

  In the center of the hall, a high platform was set up. This is where Su Xia and others performed their art. On the second floor, more than a dozen private rooms were built, exclusively for officials and nobles to enjoy. The first floor was mixed seating, which was the seat for large households, wealthy gentry. As for ordinary civilians, this is a luxurious thing, how can they share it with the common people?

  Although the lobby was originally spacious, after this renovation, it can accommodate thousands of people, but it is still in short supply. The four big families of An Chang joined forces and had the identity of the local snake, so they occupied a private room on the second floor.

  In the private room, incense wafted through the air, and tea and refreshments were served with great elegance, filling the space with a refreshing fragrance. However, at this moment, there was only one person in the private room, and none of the masters from the four major families were to be seen. This person's appearance was unremarkable, and his fingers were even covered in calluses, making him look more like a farmer than a noble.

  This was Fang Ming's divided attention. Although the four masters also had an interest in this elegant matter, compared to the affairs after death, they could still distinguish between what was important and what was not. After joining forces to book this elegant room, they sent away the maidservants and attendants, allowing Fang Ming to enjoy it alone.

  The second floor's private room design is unique. Looking out the window, you can see the high platform, with a great view and no mutual obstruction.

  Fang Ming had just gone out when he heard someone shouting

  "Susu is out!"

  "What a natural beauty!"

  My heart skipped a beat as I looked out of the window.

  Suddenly, I saw a stunning beauty, wearing a white dress like snow, fluttering in the wind, exuding an air of leisurely elegance, gazing at the clear stream with a calm and composed demeanor.

  The bright moon sheds its gentle light, softly and slowly, bathing her in the warm glow of the lunar rays. It makes her seem as if she were a spirit from heaven and earth, like a natural sprite, not someone who should appear in the mortal world.

  As she walked, the surroundings seemed to transform into a fairyland, exuding an ethereal aura that led people to grasp the truth of beauty, which transcended the brushstrokes of any great painter.

  Especially her eyes, as if they contain all the emotions of the world, and have a nostalgia for all things, autumn waves flow, making Fang Ming can't help but think of his past love affair.

  Fang Ming was stunned by her breathtaking beauty and couldn't speak for a moment.

  At this moment, she said in her sweet and clear voice: "Su Xia thanks everyone for coming to the scene, I can only dedicate one song to express my gratitude!"

  Fang Ming was shocked and suddenly woke up as if from a dream.

  Just now, for an instant, it almost made him feel as if he had been reborn.

  It wasn't until then that he came back to his senses and used his divine sense of smell. Another shock.

  Only a clear light flickered, and the red and yellow air gathered together to form a wave of water. On top of it, there was a green gas rising, transforming into a small green square seal. The green light flashed, piercing Fang Ming's eyes with pain, making him want to look again, but he couldn't see anything anymore. At this moment, Su Xia seemed to have noticed something and unintentionally glanced over, causing Fang Ming's heart to be greatly startled.