Jining Prefecture, Jiaxiang County, the Grand Canal boosted its trade prosperity, making it a bustling major ferry crossing within Yanzhou Prefecture.
The boatmen needed to buy goods and left some men to watch over things. Ji Xiang generously distributed talismans to the remaining crew. The boatmen knew Ji Xiang was a significant figure with true abilities, and receiving these talismans felt like finding gold.
Who knew when they might save a life? Having these talismans was like having an extra life.
As for the incense offerings Ji Xiang consumed, they were negligible.
"This humble Taoist intends to stroll through the streets and see if there are any good deeds to be done?"
Good deeds? The boatmen exchanged glances. Was this esteemed official going to help an old lady cross the road?
Wouldn't it be better if he didn't scare them into kneeling and convulsing?
"Of course, I won't be helping normal people. This humble Taoist is looking for some demons and evil gods to offer targeted assistance."
To perform thirteen hundred good deeds, the fastest way was to destroy mountains and break temples!
Catching a murderous evil god and smashing it with a couple of punches would earn at least a hundred merit points for rescuing the populace, eliminating harm for the people, and acting on behalf of heaven.
Of course, if the local custom of worshipping evil gods was strong, the merit gained from destroying an evil god's temple might be offset by the people's resistance and resentment. After all, customs varied by region. While destroying mountains and temples was quick, it also required adapting to local conditions.
Since the nine tribulations had not yet passed, actively seeking tribulation was best resolved sooner rather than later.
Therefore, Ji Xiang intended to explore the local area. If he couldn't find any demons or monsters, he could always fight the White Lotus Society, which should also earn him considerable merit.
However, his fists had not yet struck anything tangible, and merit was out of the question for now, so these were merely Ji Xiang's personal thoughts.
"Oh, this..."
The boatmen were a bit stunned by Ji Xiang's words, then they all said, "You go ahead. We'll wait here for you. We won't set sail until you return. You are a great person, chatting with demons and monsters, that's quite a pastime."
If they had said anything wrong, they would have been executed on the spot.
Ji Xiang, equipped with his firearms, left the boat with the little fox. At the same time, Ji Xiang's gaze subtly shifted towards the young scholar who had disembarked from another boat.
Just now, that scholar had looked at Ji Xiang several times. How could he not sense such a gaze?
What piqued Ji Xiang's interest in this scholar was the extremely strong sense of aspiration emanating from him, and the song he had just sung seemed to be a folk mountain song.
It seemed he was another down-to-earth scholar. One should know that some bookworms were oblivious to the outside world, only reading the words of the sages. They would talk about governing the nation and lament their lack of recognition, acting as if they could govern the world with the Six Classics and were ready to put their plans into action. Even in extreme poverty, they would rather sell their calligraphy on the streets than write novels.
A literati with a strong sense of aspiration must be related to writing books, and certainly not proper essays.
After all, where could one find the aspirations of the masses in proper essays? There were no "Three Years of College Entrance Examination, Five Years of Mock Exams" in this era. Imagine if "Three-Five" truly existed in this world; during a battle, a set of college entrance examination essays and reading comprehension questions could drive the opposing ascendant master insane.
After all, in "Three-Five," there wasn't just the aspiration of the masses, but billions of them. Wasn't that more exciting than the trials of the Azure Sky Demon King?
"What are you looking at?"
Ji Xiang shouted at the distant scholar.
Feng Menglong's eyes were still darting around, but in the blink of an eye, Ji Xiang suddenly disappeared from afar and appeared before him, startling him into a yelp. The book in his hand almost slipped, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
However, he quickly became astonished: "Eh! You are truly a person of skill. What kind of magic is this, to appear before me in an instant?"
Of course, he swallowed hard as he looked at the firearms on Ji Xiang's person.
Firearms were supposed to be forbidden for civilians. Even if they existed, they were usually outdated weapons, like the junk firearms from the early Ming Dynasty. However, this person before him carried so many firearms, some of which looked quite new. This either meant he had an astonishing background or was incredibly skilled.
After all, if he held an official position, it would be different. It was normal for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to carry firearms when traveling.
"Magic? It's just a step away. Do you need magic for that?"
Ji Xiang patted Feng Menglong, who was getting up. Due to the excessive force, he slapped him back to the ground.
"Are you writing books about ghosts and gods?"
Feng Menglong rubbed his shoulder and then his backside, feeling pain everywhere, and let out a groan before replying, "I dabble a bit... Why are you Taoists so heavy-handed? You almost killed me."
Ji Xiang: "I am helping you loosen your muscles and activate your meridians."
"Are you leaving from here?"
Sensing the strong aspiration from Feng Menglong, Ji Xiang intended to befriend him. Feng Menglong told Ji Xiang that he had repeatedly failed the provincial examinations and was therefore widely collecting folk songs, ballads, riddles, and folk tales along the Grand Canal.
"It's easy to become a Xiucai, but difficult to become a Juren! Alas! However, the many strange and curious stories among the common people are truly astonishing... I am not leaving. I only arrived here today. Staying on the boat is cheaper than staying at an inn. I am about to look for some stories of gods and ghosts, songs, and riddles..."
Ji Xiang's heart stirred. He told Feng Menglong that he was here precisely to look for matters involving demons and ghosts. If this scholar knew anything, perhaps they could go together?
Feng Menglong also wanted to gather material, and knowing that Ji Xiang had abilities, he was naturally willing to follow him. Thus, he formally introduced himself:
"This humble scholar, Feng Menglong."
As soon as this name was spoken, Ji Xiang froze. After a while, he muttered, "Are you from Gusu?"
"Eh! How do you know that? Have you heard of me? Could it be that I am often recognized when I collect folk materials, and my reputation has spread? This truly embarrasses me!"
The little fox blinked: "Big brother, where do you go to collect materials?"
"The brothels."
Feng Menglong smiled faintly: "The women in the brothels and pleasure boats of Gusu are like mist and water..."
The little fox's face instantly turned red and steamed.
Feng Menglong laughed heartily, teasing the little fox: "What is your name, child?"
"Hu Xiao Shi!"
"Oh, your surname is Hu... You are truly delicate. When you have time, I'll take you to the brothels in Gusu. The girls there are proficient in chess, Go, calligraphy, and painting, and they particularly like delicate children like you..."
Ji Xiang coughed twice and said to the little fox:
"First, let's go to the local Daoist office to buy some talismans. Your practice talismans are almost used up. The Golden Light Spell is also somewhat effective. Continue copying them like this; I see it's very effective."
"Ask them to send someone to deliver the talismans here, and then we'll see if there are any White Lotus Society members or demons and monsters."
Ji Xiang befriended Feng Menglong and said this to the little fox. The little fox looked sad, holding a pile of magical artifacts, and trotted behind Ji Xiang, not daring to object to his grand-teacher's decision.
The incense offerings here were quite abundant. Ji Xiang felt invigorated upon arriving. Along the way, he saw many people holding incense sticks. The disparity between rich and poor in the market was great, with beggars in tattered clothes or idle vagrants everywhere.
Ji Xiang asked for directions and arrived at the local "Daoist Affairs Office."
The Directorate of Daoist Records was the highest institution governing Taoist priests, subordinate to the Ministry of Rites. It was responsible for issuing Daoist official degrees, which were issued every three years, and it managed all Taoist priests in the country. Local areas also had various Daoist official yamen, namely the Daoist Disciplinary Offices of prefectures, the Daoist Rectification Offices of departments, and the Daoist Affairs Offices of counties.