Chapter 52 Don't worry about this pirate ship
They traveled in the rain, slept in the carriage at night, passed several post stations along the way, and when the sky started to lighten again after dark for who knows how many times, Lin Zhusheng was finally informed that they were close to Luodu.
In the evening, before the city gates closed, he finally saw the shadow of the city wall. It was a huge, gray and black area, with most of it being hidden in the rain, which looked quite oppressive.
When approaching the city gate, the carriage stopped by the roadside. The kind friend got off, held up an umbrella and handed the pass to the city guard, who was waiting in the carriage.
From a distance, he lifted the curtain and looked over. He could only see vague figures of people and hear faint voices amid the sound of rain. It seemed that there were quite a few people.
The kind friend came back after a while, folded his umbrella, got on the bus, sat down, coughed, and told the driver in front that it was time to go.
The wind outside was cold, so Lin Zhusheng put down his hand that was lifting the curtain and asked, "Did anything happen over there at the city gate?"
"Someone is looking for someone," said the kind-hearted friend. "They have been searching the whole city for a while, but still can't find him. I heard he is a very important person."
Although I searched very hard, the portrait was hard to describe. It didn't have any special features and I couldn't tell who it was no matter how I looked at it. There shouldn't be anyone who really has no distinctive features at all.
Lin Zhusheng propped his chin up and said briefly: "I hope they find it soon."
He excluded himself first.
It has only been a few days since he came out of the secret realm. No matter how hard the elders look for him, they should not be able to find Luodu, which is some distance away from the bay. He still has to find a way to get there by himself.
As he was thinking, he heard another cough next to him, so he turned around, patted the person next to him on the back, and said, "Are you okay, friend?"
There are some benefits to practicing. He has been traveling in a carriage for the past few days and has adapted well. At most, he feels some pain in his buttocks and waist. However, this kind friend seems to be not doing well. He started coughing the day before yesterday and looks much worse, especially after waking up this morning.
A kind friend said it was okay.
I have to go to Nanfeng Pavilion to perform tonight. I have to hold on no matter how busy I am. As long as I can get through tonight, I can rest.
He didn't look like he was fine, but he said he was fine, so Lin Zhusheng didn't ask any more questions.
As the carriage drove into the city, there was a little more noise in the sound of rain, and there was also the faint sound of hawking. On such a rainy day, there still seemed to be quite a few people on the road.
The Nanfeng Pavilion that the kind friend wanted to go to was near the center of Luodu. It was an entertainment street in a prime location where every inch of land was worth a lot of money. It was next to a river that ran through the city. There were many people there day and night. When they arrived, there were many carriages on the spacious road, and it looked quite luxurious.
“Oh—”
The coachman in front controlled the carriage to stop, and outside was Nanfeng Pavilion. They had arrived.
It’s time for Lin Zhusheng to leave. He took the kitten and the few things he had, and just as he was about to stuff something into the clothes box, his kind friend handed him something.
It is a bamboo hat, the brim of which is much wider than that of a normal bamboo hat, which is just right for keeping out the rain. A well-meaning friend said, "It's not as useful as an umbrella, but it can keep the rain out at least."
It was the first time for Lin Zhusheng to wear this thing. He was a little curious and put it on unskillfully. My head felt heavy after I put it on and my vision was mostly blocked, but it was still fun.
He was exploring the new things, while his well-meaning friends began to pick up the boxes and bags in the carriage, preparing to get off.
People were coughing and carrying large and small things trying to squeeze out. The scene was too difficult to watch. His eyes jumped, and he finally reached out to help take the things and said, "I'll take it in."
Although he was still injured, he looked slightly better than his friend, at least he could stand steadily.
I really couldn't do it alone, but I couldn't refuse my kind friend, so I said thank you.
The two got out of the car. As they stepped onto the ground, the sound of rain falling on their ears suddenly became much louder, covering up all other sounds.
Nanfeng Pavilion has three floors and is elegantly decorated. There is a constant flow of people and carriages in front of the door. There are servants holding umbrellas at the door to solicit customers. They did not enter through the crowded main entrance, but went to the back door which was reserved for people in the store.
Someone was waiting at the back door, and after confirming the identity of the kind friend, he was quickly taken upstairs.
Wearing a big bamboo hat, a plain linen robe and carrying something, Lin Zhusheng was naturally mistaken for a bag-carrying servant and followed them upstairs.
Nanfeng Pavilion has prepared rooms for kind friends on the second floor. The shopkeeper who led the way was a wealthy man. He walked up the stairs carrying his things and said, "It's a good thing that the gentleman is here this time."
Sir refers to a kind friend.
Nanfeng Pavilion pursues the style of elegance and leisure. Every day, there are people playing piano and flute in the pavilion for performances. The money earned from tea and tips from literati and wealthy families with free time has also made a name for itself. However, recently, the girls and boys in several neighboring buildings that mainly provide night services have also started dancing and playing music, competing for a lot of customers.
This wasn't going to work, so they decided to find another way. They had originally planned to invite a dancer who was famous throughout the South China Sea to increase their popularity and fame, but the dancer caught a cold before leaving and was bedridden. The news of inviting outstanding dancers had been released, but they couldn't find any suitable people in Luodu. They were so anxious that their mouths were covered with blisters. Fortunately, they finally found one.
The kind friend smiled, lowered his eyes tiredly, and coughed softly.
“…”
Lin Zhusheng glanced at his kind friend and then at the shopkeeper who was still rejoicing in front of him. He objectively felt that there seemed to be something wrong with the newly found dancer who saved the day.
The shopkeeper, who heaved a sigh of relief, was immersed in joy and did not notice anything wrong. He went upstairs in two or three steps and pushed open the room first.
The room prepared for kind friends is quite large, with all the dancing props and clothes displayed inside. Watching the two people enter the room, the shopkeeper said, "Sir, please take a rest first. Someone will bring tea in a while. I will go find the girl to change clothes."
There was only about half an hour left until the departure point that had been announced previously, so time was a bit tight and there were still many things to do. After he finished speaking, he closed the door and left in a hurry.
After the door closed, Lin Zhusheng put down the things he was carrying and stuffed some things in. He took off the bamboo hat on his head and turned around and said, "Then I'll take my leave first. Take care of yourself, my friend."
In response, his friend who was sitting on the chair fell on the table with a "bang".
Startled by the noise, he paused for a moment, turned around, dropped what he was doing, and quickly went to check on his kind friend.
He slid down and half-crouched beside the man. He helped the man up before he even opened his mouth to ask about the other person's condition. When he got close, he could already feel the burning sensation from the man's breath.
There might be something wrong with Nanfeng Pavilion. Two people who came to visit have caught a cold.
It was obvious that he needed not only medicine but also rest in this condition. He stood up and prepared to find the shopkeeper to explain the situation as soon as possible, but his sleeve was pulled.
The whites of my eyes were already bloodshot, and a kind friend said, "I can do it."
Although it is possible, it might be more convincing to even out your breathing. Lin Zhusheng said incredulously: "It's obvious that this is not possible."
The good-hearted friend propped himself up and sat up, saying, "I can't let the shopkeeper down."
The shopkeeper attached great importance to today. When he came to me, he not only paid a deposit in advance, but also gave some extra money for emergency so that his younger brother at home could refill his medicine. His kindness must not be wasted, and tonight must not be messed up.
[Side Quest: Help Nanfeng Pavilion successfully fill the vacancy]
[Task Reward: 200 gold, random orange-level bracelet x1]
A very timely task. When the mission message popped up, Lin Zhusheng was stunned for a moment, then he took out the kitten from his clothes in disbelief and said, "Where can I find someone to fill the gap if you don't tell me to?"
Professional matters should be handled by professionals. Even the professional shopkeepers can’t find anyone. It doesn’t seem like he, an outsider and a layman, can find someone on short notice.
The kitten was taken out of the clothes and gave his advice sincerely and casually, "If you look for it, you will find it."
Then her eyes fell on his face, and she quickly moved away and said, "If you can't find anyone, you can go."
This is a bold and irresponsible suggestion. Since I am not the one doing it myself, it sounds as easy as solving a nightmare.
With a snap, without any hesitation, without jumping at all, Lin directly hit the kitten's head and said, "I'm going to perform a magic dance for them?"
It's not that he is being modest, but if he were to jump around a bit, the Nanfeng Pavilion's signboard would be shattered to pieces on the spot.
After taking a picture of the kitten's head, he turned to ask his kind friend, trying to gather some information, "By the way, how did the shopkeeper promote you?"
"He...I..."
The kind friend who claimed that he could do it could no longer sit up straight, his tone of voice was erratic, and his sentences were intermittent. To sum it up, he was the white-haired dancer from the neighboring area who was very good at dancing.
Good dancing, Whitehair. It's good that it has nothing to do with me, or it can be said that the fact that I have white hair has nothing to do with most people.
My well-meaning friend has gray hair due to illness, and this rare disease is not suffered by everyone. This task seemed even more abstract than solving the nightmare. Lin Heimao turned to look at the kitten, his mouth twitched, and said, "Do you think it's possible to find it?"
It would be better to let Wuqi come over and transform into the original form so that everyone can touch it as much as they want. After all, they all have white hair in every sense.
"Hair is pretty simple," said the kitten. "The mall sells a hair color trial monthly pass. The original price is 388 gold. This time, because it is required for the mission, I can give it to you for free."
It is unexpectedly an action-oriented one. The moment he finished speaking, the corners of his eyes turned white. Lin Zhusheng lowered his eyes to look at his hair that had changed color in an instant and hung on his shoulders. He said in surprise, "Is it that amazing?"
"No, what's the point of changing my hair? Shouldn't it be given to others?" He reacted a little late and realized that now was not the time to be amazed. He wiped his face and ran out to find the shopkeeper, and as he ran he asked, "Please help me keep an eye on this friend."
Logically speaking, he could choose not to accept the mission and leave directly, but if it weren't for this kind friend, he would probably still be hanging around in the fields, his little conscience still alive preventing him from running away directly.
And he doesn't have to go to the shopkeeper anymore.
“Shua——”
The moment the door was pushed open, before he could jump out, he came face to face with the shopkeeper who happened to be coming with a few makeup and hairdressing girls.
The scene was a little chaotic for a while.
There was the shocked makeup girl, the puzzled shopkeeper, the uneasy him, the kind friend who was either asleep or fainted at the table in the room, the kitten who was trying to wipe the sweat off the person by grabbing the cloth with his two paws but failed, and the servant who was walking up the stairs with tea outside but saw a group of people standing at the door.
After a brief silence, the shopkeeper opened his eyes and looked at him, then looked at his kind friend sitting on the table behind him, and spoke with difficulty, "This, this..."
Before the shopkeeper could utter a complete sentence after a long while of saying "this", Lin Zhusheng asked someone to enter the room first and took the lead in informing him of the unfortunate fact that the two people he was looking for had caught a cold.
Upon hearing the sad news, the shopkeeper suddenly sat down on the ground, looking very shocked.
His lips kept moving, as if he wanted to say something. Thinking he was going to say something important, Lin Zhusheng listened attentively. He heard him hesitate and say, "...Did your hair look like this before?"
The shopkeeper could barely recognize that this person was the one who was carrying the things just now by the clothes on his body. Although he didn't pay much attention to him, the shopkeeper vaguely remembered that the person should have black hair.
The shopkeeper seemed quite relaxed as he was still worrying about such insignificant issues at this time.
"..." Looking aside, Lin Zhusheng said, "I have always been like this."
What's important now is not this, but the health condition of the kind friend and the fact that tonight's performance will not be held. He asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
There was less than an hour left until the time originally scheduled for the kind friend to go on stage, and an hour wouldn't be a big deal, so if the shopkeeper could come up with a solution and needed help, he would do his best to help.
The shopkeeper looked up and asked, "Anything is fine?"
Lin Zhusheng issued a disclaimer: "It has to be within the scope of ability."
The shopkeeper then asked him if he had any special skills.
"Sleeping...ah, the normal kind of sleeping," Lin Zhusheng answered honestly, then he remembered that he was now more or less a sword cultivator, and added, "And using a sword, probably."
After he finished speaking, he added: "But now I am injured and can't be a thug, but I should be able to run errands."
His spiritual energy couldn't circulate, his hands and feet ached, and if he acted as a thug, he might even be chased and beaten by others.
“…”
The shopkeeper didn't want anyone to be a thug, but he wasn't so cruel as to ask someone to run errands in the rain.
In an instant, a lot of thoughts flashed through his mind. Without any hesitation, he stood up, quickly bent down, and said "please".
"?"
Not understanding what he was asking for, Lin Zhusheng asked in doubt: "Hmm?"
The shopkeeper said: "Sword dancing is also dancing. Please help me out and take my place. We can discuss the reward!"
The shopkeeper's words were so shocking that Lin Xiaoyou was so scared that he made a strategic retreat and tried to figure out whether the man was joking or not.
The shopkeeper was not joking, and everyone present except him seemed to think it was feasible. It was completely a desperate measure and anyone could do it.
Things started to take an unexpected turn, and it was hard to tell that he was just an ordinary lone disciple who was passing by and came up to help his kind friend move his luggage before leaving to find his fellow disciples and elders.
“…”
The mouth that was usually quite talkative moved, but for a moment he couldn't think of a reason to refuse. Facing the gazes from everyone, Lin Xiaoyou's mouth twitched.
One person couldn't withstand the pleading gazes of a bunch of people. His only teammate, Kitty, was just trying to watch the fun and stood on the side of the shopkeeper. In the end, he was defeated.
Less than half an hour before the show, the room suddenly became busy.
The makeup girl who was in charge of dressing and styling hair had a smile on her face from beginning to end. It was the first time that she loved her job so much. She enthusiastically matched beautiful clothes and accessories. She strongly recommended a bright red robe woven with gold, but the person who tried it on declined. In the end, she had to settle for a bright red robe with a moon-white outer robe and a simple red headband.
Player Lin, who was unable to say no, opened his eyes and acted as a ruthless clothes hanger. Feng Han's kind friend was taken to another room to see a doctor and rest. Kitty watched him change clothes and said objectively: "You finally look like a human being."
Even though he had already reached the stage of changing clothes, Lin Xiaoyou still felt that the situation was extremely unreliable. His eyes twitched, "Is this really possible?"
At this point, we have to do it even if we have to.
The shopkeeper, who was away from home, found him an unsharpened sword from somewhere in a short time. He wiped the sweat off his face and handed the sword to him, saying, "There's almost a quarter of an hour left. Don't be afraid, my friend. Just don't let the sword slip out of your hand and hit the customer's head."
The young man looks really young and should have just started learning sword. The shopkeeper can roughly guess his level.
He had already thought it through. Most of the idle people and scholars who came here came to listen to the music and watch the dance. They didn't know anything about swords. As long as the sword wasn't thrown away, everything would be possible. Wait until the gentleman in the other room has rested, and then come back in a few days, and the problem will be basically solved.
Such low requirements.
The reason for using an unsharpened sword was probably to avoid causing irreversible damage to the guests when the sword was thrown out. Lin Zhusheng had a new understanding of the unreliability of things.
He was thinking about something while the hairdresser was working on it. She half-tied up her white hair and tied a bright red headband. She said "Done".
The room was purposely not designed to be soundproof, and one could faintly hear the sound of stringed instruments coming to an end outside. The shopkeeper patted his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you for your help, young friend."
Lin Xiaoyou stood up holding the sword, his long sleeves hanging down, and walked out of the room slowly, step by step. The noise in his ears grew louder and louder, and his whole back revealed the tragic feeling of a hero going to his death.
The heavy rain could not stop the idle people and the noble families from traveling in carriages. Nanfeng Pavilion had been preparing for this night for a long time. It was raining, and the lobby and the second and third floors were full of people and noisy when there should have been few guests.
On the third floor, several young men from aristocratic families sat in a private room. The maids accompanying them were quietly pouring tea, and there were constant sounds of laughter and talking around them.
Luodu is rich in resources and has no shortage of rich people or children of aristocratic families. Their families have endless money, and what they do most every day is cockfighting, walking the dog, and having fun here. The man in green clothes sitting at the innermost side drank the tea poured by the maid, reached down and said, "Why hasn't anyone come yet?"
The person next to him threw a nut into his mouth and said, "The person before him just withdrew, why are you in such a hurry?"
"We just want to see what the person who has been bragging so much these days in Nanfeng Pavilion looks like," said the man in green. "Aren't you curious?"
He added: "It would be nice if Chen Jinghao was here too."
"No, I heard that the person you invited is a man, and he's not interested in men," someone on the other side came over and said, "He's still lying at home, so he can't come even if he wants to."
When this topic was brought up, the others became excited. They sat up straight and asked, "He's still not awake? Was he injured so badly this time?"
"That's not true. I heard that all the disciples from the sects who went to the secret realm this time had problems and are now recovering from their injuries."
After looking around, the person who was speaking lowered his voice slightly and said, "It is said that Tianzong has lost a disciple, who was a disciple of an elder."
The others also knew a little that Tianzong had been looking for disciples recently, but they didn't know that they were looking for direct disciples. Being a direct disciple is not a small matter, especially when he is a direct disciple of the largest sect, Tianzong. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be one of the pillars of the future cultivation world. No wonder he is so popular. The man in green asked, "Seriously?"
"I've been looking for it for so long and still can't find it," he gestured to his neck and whispered, "Maybe it's already like this."
"No, it is said that the life plate is still lit, but the person cannot be found." An insider who knows more than others said, "Even Wen Baizhou is here. I met him once outside the city last time."
The people around were surprised, "That Ling Xu Jun? Tianzong is so far away, how could he come here?"
"That's Ling Xujun."
The insider rubbed his arms and said, "He almost went crazy looking for her. It is said that he searched for several days without sleep. His eyes were red from staying up all night. It was very scary. When we met eyes outside the city, I thought I was going to die."
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