Chapter 211 Still in the same industry?
Shen Yulou raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself,'Sure enough.'
He led Old Eighth Hu into the tavern, found an inconspicuous corner, and sat down.
He casually ordered two small dishes and a pot of cloudy wine, then pricked up his ears, listening carefully to the conversations around him.
As expected, the impoverished scholars at the next table were arguing heatedly about this matter.
A scholar as thin as a bamboo pole was seen shaking his head, looking utterly self-assured.
"'Imperial Palace Jade Liquid Wine,' this line appears simple, yet its meaning is profound.
The words 'Imperial Palace' denote the wine's nobility.
And 'Jade Liquid' is an item of the immortals.
Such a phrase demands a grand and magnificent lower couplet to achieve perfect symmetry.
Alas, I've thought of several, but all were rejected by the County Magistrate."
A slightly fatter scholar next to him curled his lip in disdain.
"Your level is just that."
"I think we should focus on the second line.
'Odd changes, even doesn't!'
This line is the essence!
It is a true saying of Daoism, containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth!
I pondered it all night yesterday, only feeling that the Great Dao is formless, profound and mysterious!
It's probably related to the art of alchemy and ascension!
The County Magistrate might be a cultivator, so we should approach it from this angle."
Pfft—
Shen Yulou nearly spat out a mouthful of wine.
Alchemy and ascension, my ass. This imagination, it would be a waste not to write fantasy novels.
The allure of ten thousand taels of gold was indeed immense; even these self-proclaimed lofty scholars were driven mad by it.
They were more enthusiastic than when studying for the Successful Candidate examination.
Shen Yulou cleared his throat, picked up his wine cup, and leaned over, a humble smile on his face, speaking politely.
"Gentlemen, I am the steward of Lord Shen, passing through this area.
I heard you discussing the County Magistrate's couplet; my master is also quite interested.
It's just that I don't know, who is this County Magistrate of Anyuan County, and why is the reward for these two couplets so high?"
Hearing that he was a steward from a wealthy family, the scholars immediately put on smiling faces, their attitudes much more polite.
With the emperor far away, in Anyuan County, the County Magistrate was like heaven.
"Hah, you've asked the right person!"
The scholar slapped his thigh and began to boast, spitting as he spoke.
"To speak of our esteemed County Magistrate, he is simply a reincarnation of the God of Literature, a living Bodhisattva!"
"Our Magistrate Liu has been in office for less than half a year, and he has managed Anyuan County in perfect order!
Look at these streets, so clean that a fly would have to do the splits to land!
Last month, the neighboring county suffered a plague, and many people died.
But our Magistrate Liu had a solution; he made everyone in the county wear something called a 'face mask,' saying it could prevent disease!
And what was the result?
People died in droves in the neighboring county, but in our Anyuan County, not a single person got sick!
Isn't that miraculous?"
Face mask?
Shen Yulou's heart sank.
Now he was completely certain; the other party was definitely a transmigrator.
And, damn it, a colleague!
Most likely someone with medical knowledge!
This was getting interesting.
Shen Yulou thought for a moment and decided to test the waters first, to see what attitude and methods this fellow countryman had.
He returned to his seat, pulled a piece of paper from his bosom, and had Old Eighth Hu write five large characters on it.
One hundred eighty per cup.
First, he would complete the second line of 'Imperial Palace Jade Liquid Wine'; if the other party was indeed fishing, this line would be enough for him to reel them in.
"Go, take this to the county yamen, and say that you came up with the lower couplet."
Shen Yulou put the paper into Old Eighth Hu's hand, his eyes filled with gravity.
Old Eighth Hu held the paper, feeling a bit expectant.
If he really got it right, would he get ten thousand taels of gold?
If he got the money, he might just reach the pinnacle of his life!
Old Eighth Hu felt his destiny was about to turn!
...That night, the two stayed in the largest inn in the city.
However, this time, their roles were reversed, and their positions naturally changed too.
Old Eighth Hu, impersonating Lord Shen, stayed in the best room, 'Heavenly Character Number One.'
And the real Shen Yulou, hugging a tattered quilt, slept in the smelly stable downstairs.
Lying on the soft bed, Old Eighth Hu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He had a dream that he received ten thousand taels of gold, and then the County Magistrate made him a secretary here.
He took the money, bought a large mansion, married a dozen beautiful women, and had a bunch of children.
Just as he was dozing off in his dream.
The door was kicked open with a bang!
A group of yamen runners, armed with steel knives, rushed in like wolves and tigers.
Without a word, they dragged Old Eighth Hu, who hadn't even reacted, out of his bed, threw a sack over him, and carried him away.
The entire process was smooth and professional, almost heartbreaking.
In the stable, Shen Yulou watched all this through the crack in the door, his eyes instantly turning cold.
Damn it, it really is the law of the jungle!
The two transmigrators were like being in a dark jungle.
Whoever showed their head first, the other would not hesitate to shoot them.
One mountain cannot hold two tigers, unless one is male and the other female.
Judging by this situation, the other party clearly had no intention of cooperating with him.
Old Eighth Hu, this pawn used for reconnaissance, was probably in grave danger.
Well, that saved him the trouble of doing it himself.
Shen Yulou felt no ripples in his heart.
The only thing he needed to consider now was his own safety.
He quietly slipped out of the stable, preparing to leave the city amidst the chaos.
He would first rendezvous with his Sister-in-law.
Since the other party was so uncooperative, Shen Yulou naturally wouldn't be polite either.
He had locked onto his target, and when he returned, he would have his Sister-in-law kill him.
However, just as he reached the city gate, his brow suddenly furrowed.
The city gate was brightly lit, and rows of soldiers holding long spears blocked the exit completely.
A man who looked like a military officer shouted with full vigor.
"The County Magistrate has ordered! The entire city is under martial law! No one is allowed to enter or leave, violators will be killed without mercy!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yulou slowly retreated into the shadows.
This was getting a bit tricky.
This damned County Magistrate acted really fast.
He probably confessed him directly before Old Eighth Hu even endured torture.
He had originally thought that when fellow countrymen met, tears would stream down their faces.
They could sit down, drink tea, brag, exchange transmigration experiences, and then plan how to upgrade this feudal society to version 2.0.
But what happened?
The other party didn't even give him a chance to introduce himself, and just pulled out a gun!
Judging by this situation, the other fellow clearly had no interest in cooperation, only wanting to kill him and monopolize this 'newbie village.'
Shen Yulou now had to find a new identity to hide himself.
At that time, with a city-wide search, his delicate skin and tender flesh would be too conspicuous in this poor, remote place.
He had to silently kill Old Eighth Hu before he could identify him.
The two techniques he practiced, flicking jujube pits, had, thanks to his Sister-in-law's guidance, now reached a certain level of mastery.
Hitting a bird or injuring someone from a distance was not a big problem.
But taking a life from a hundred or eighty paces away, he hadn't reached that realm yet.
He needed to get close.
Shen Yulou once again quietly slipped back into the small tavern; it was crowded and noisy, making it the best intelligence station.
As expected, the pedantic scholars were still bragging, but the topic had shifted from couplets to Jianghu gossip.
"Hey, have you heard?'Snow-Treading, Traceless Yan Bugui' is said to have arrived in our Anyuan County too!"
One scholar lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously, his eyes filled with adoration