Sword Arrives

The town was of moderate size, with over six hundred households. Chen Ping'an was familiar with the humble homes of the poorer families, but the wealthy households, with their high thresholds, were places he could never enter. He had never even set foot in some of the spacious alleys where the wealthy families lived. The streets there were paved with large, smooth green stone slabs, so that even on rainy days, one would never step into a puddle of mud. Those excellent green stones, after being trodden by people, horses, and carriages for thousands of years, had been worn smooth as mirrors.

The surnames Lu, Li, Zhao, and Song were the most prominent in the town. These families had contributed to the funding of the local village school and owned two or three large royal kilns outside the town. The residences of the successive kiln supervisors were located on the same street as these families.

Unfortunately, almost all ten of the letters Chen Ping'an had to deliver today were for the wealthier and more prominent families in town. This was quite understandable. As the saying goes, "Like dragons beget dragons, and phoenixes beget phoenixes." Those who could afford to send letters from afar must have come from well-off families, otherwise, they wouldn't have had the courage to leave home. In fact, Chen Ping'an only visited two places to deliver nine of the letters: Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley. As he stepped onto the green stone slabs as large as bedboards, the young man felt uneasy and slowed his pace, even feeling ashamed that his straw sandals might dirty the pristine street.

The first letter Chen Ping'an delivered was to the Lu family, whose ancestors had been gifted an imperial jade scepter by the emperor. Standing at their door, the young man felt even more out of place.

Wealthy families had many rules. Not only was the Lu family residence large, but there were also two stone lions, as tall as a person, standing guard at the gate, exuding an intimidating aura. Song Jixin had once said these lions could ward off evil spirits. Chen Ping'an didn't know what evil spirits were, but he was curious about how the lions, which seemed to have round stone balls in their mouths, were carved. Chen Ping'an fought the urge to touch the stone ball and ascended the steps, tapping the bronze lion door knocker. Soon, a young man opened the door and stepped out. Upon hearing that Chen Ping'an was there to deliver a letter, the man's face remained expressionless as he pinched the corner of the envelope with two fingers, took the letter, and quickly turned, slamming the door shut with a heavy thud. The door was decorated with an image of the Wealth God.

The rest of Chen Ping'an's deliveries were equally uneventful. At a modest household on the corner of Peach Leaf Alley, the door was opened by a kind-faced, elderly man. After receiving the letter, he smiled and said, "Young man, thank you for your hard work. Would you like to come in for a rest and a sip of hot water?"

The young man shyly smiled, shook his head, and quickly ran off.

The elderly man gently placed the family letter into his sleeve, taking his time to return to the residence. He looked up towards the distance with a clouded gaze.

His final gaze, moving from high to low, from far to near, settled on the peach trees lining the street. Despite his seemingly senile appearance, the elderly man managed to squeeze out a smile.

He turned and left.

Not long after, a cute little goldfinch with a delicate beak perched on a peach branch, chirping softly.

The last letter Chen Ping'an needed to deliver was for the village schoolteacher. On his way, he passed a fortune-telling stall, manned by a young Taoist dressed in an old robe. Sitting upright behind the table, he wore a tall hat resembling a blooming lotus flower.

Seeing the youngster running past, the young Taoist quickly called out, "Youngster, come closer and don't miss out! Draw a fortune stick, and I'll cast a divination for you, helping you foresee your good fortune and misfortune."

Chen Ping'an didn't stop walking, but he turned his head and waved his hand.

The Taoist didn't give up. He leaned forward and raised his voice, "Youngster, normally I charge ten copper coins for interpreting fortune sticks, but today I'll make an exception and only charge you three! Of course, if you draw a top-grade stick, you might as well add another coin as a celebratory gift. And if you're incredibly lucky and draw the best stick, I'll only charge you five copper coins. How about that?"

Chen Ping'an's footsteps hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, the young Taoist quickly rose to his feet and seized the opportunity, shouting loudly, "It's early in the morning, and you're my first customer. I'll go all out to be kind. Honestly, if you sit down and draw a stick, I can also write some talismans for you, to bless your ancestors and accumulate merit. With my abilities, I can't guarantee that you'll be reborn into a wealthy and noble life, but I can say that it's worth trying for a bit more good fortune."

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then turned around and sat down on the bench in front of the stall, half-believing and half-doubting.

A humble Taoist and a poor youngster, two penniless souls, sat opposite each other.

The Taoist smiled and extended his hand, gesturing for the youngster to pick up the lot pot.

Chen Ping'an hesitated, then suddenly said, "I don't want to draw a stick. Can you just write a talisman for me?"

In Chen Ping'an's memory, the wandering young Taoist had been in the town for at least five or six years. His appearance hadn't changed much, and he was friendly to everyone. He usually helped people with fortune-telling, drawing lots for divination, and occasionally writing letters for others. Interestingly, over the years, the lot pot on the table, containing one hundred and eight bamboo sticks, had never produced a bad stick for the townsfolk. No one had ever drawn the best stick or a bad one. It seemed that all one hundred and eight sticks were of middle to top grade, with no bad omens.