Chapter 952: Why Does That Voice Sound Familiar?

The small boat followed the river for a long while before merging into the Great River.

Zhao Lin clicked his tongue in wonder. The bamboo raft was moving upstream against the current without any external force.

"Where are we going?" Zhao Lin asked.

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "I don't know. Wherever the water takes us."

Zhao Lin stared at him, completely baffled. "You don't even know where we're going, and I'm just drifting along with you?"

Chen Changsheng glanced at him. "You'd rather not?"

Zhao Lin smacked his lips. "It's fine, I suppose."

He lay back on the bamboo raft and let out a long breath. "I'm a man with nothing but free time anyway. Sticking with you means I won't end up dead, at least."

The bamboo raft remained steady, pushing upstream along the Great River before drifting aimlessly once more.

The river breeze swept past, leaving Zhao Lin feeling a little cold.

He didn't mind it much, though. The chill suited his current state of mind—rather desolate.

The bamboo raft drifted on. After a long while, scattered houses and fishermen appeared along the riverbank.

For some reason, the sight struck Chen Changsheng as familiar.

He felt as though he had been here before.

After a moment of thought, he recognized the place.

This was Youling County!

For the first time since they began their journey, Zhao Lin saw a faint gleam in Chen Changsheng's eyes.

He paused and asked, "Where is this?"

"Youling County."

"Never heard of it."

"It was never a prominent place to begin with," Chen Changsheng said. "Plus, the river rose and flooded the area years ago. It looks completely different now."

"You've been here?"

"Once, in my early years."

"I met an interesting Mister here," Chen Changsheng added.

Zhao Lin stroked his chin, his curiosity piqued.

He wanted to know what could possibly make Chen Changsheng care about this place.

After drifting for a few days, the bamboo raft finally pulled up to the shore.

Zhao Lin stretched his back and rolled his shoulders, feeling much better.

"Walking on solid ground is much more comfortable."

Chen Changsheng didn't agree. He thought riding the raft was perfectly fine. The gentle rocking lulled a person into a daze, and paired with half a jug of wine, one could drift into a groggy stupor without a single care in the world—that was true comfort.

Along the way, they saw many fishing boats, quite a few of them moored against the banks.

Some fishermen lived inside Youling County. The poorer ones set up simple shacks right on the shore, while others bought slightly larger boats and simply lived on the water.

The myriad states of human life, each finding its own way to survive.

Stepping into Youling County, a single glance confirmed that its appearance had drastically changed. The great flood from years past had nearly swallowed the entire area; what lay before them now was merely a rebuilt Youling County.

The moment Chen Changsheng set foot inside, he paused.

His gaze fixed straight ahead.

A small fortune-telling stall sat by the side of the street.

No one was manning it, but a wooden board hung at the front, reading:

[Heavy fog on the river at dawn, dissipating in three quarters of an hour. The sky will clear with few clouds—good for fishing. However, the midday sun will be vicious; beware of the heat.]

Quite a few people were gathered in front, peering at the sign.

"Looks like good weather today."

"Yeah, definitely."

"It'll be too hot at noon. Let's go fishing this afternoon and rest up first."

"We should head out right now. There'll probably be too many boats out this afternoon."

"Let's go, let's go."

Looking around, none of these people were able-bodied men. The crowd mostly consisted of children under the age of ten, women, and hunched elderly folks.

All the able-bodied men from this area had been conscripted.

This was Prince Jin's territory. In the early years, the world had been too chaotic, leaving households entirely without food. When Prince Jin initiated a draft, joining the army guaranteed provisions—though meager, it kept them from starving to death. Now, only the old, the weak, women, and children remained in Youling County. They kept up the local trade of fishing, selling their catches to traveling merchants to subsidize their household expenses.

Zhao Lin watched the scene unfold. Opening his mouth, he murmured, "No wonder Jin Land has so many soldiers."

Chen Changsheng said, "Prince Jin gave them a hand during their hardest times. Not only does this make his rule entirely legitimate, but he also didn't have to resort to forced conscription. It was an open strategy."

Zhao Lin scoffed. "Are you taking a jab at me?"

Chen Changsheng spread his hands. He hadn't meant it that way at all.

Zhao Lin sighed softly and shook his head. "I really wasn't as ruthless as Prince Jin, but thinking about it, it's just a difference in ideals. If a massive army were to invade, the soldiers of Jin Land might just desert and flee. But if it were Wei Land, the deserters would likely be in the minority. Even the commoners outside the military would want to lend me a hand."

"It's a pity you surrendered."

"..."

"Way to rub salt in the wound."

Zhao Lin curled his lip, opting not to say anything more.

Chen Changsheng chuckled, stepping forward to approach the stall.

Zhao Lin glanced at the words on the board. "What's this?"

Chen Changsheng explained, "Today's weather forecast."

"Today's?" Zhao Lin paused. Seeing the stall empty yet hung with various signs, he guessed it was meant for fortune-telling and divination.

"Is it accurate?" he asked.

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Extremely accurate."

"You understand divination too?"

"I know a thing or two," Chen Changsheng said. "I've studied a few related techniques and cast a few hexagrams in the past. Predicting the weather really isn't difficult."

"Then teach me."

"Sure."

Zhao Lin was stunned. "You'll really teach me?"

"I really will."

"You swear? If you're lying, you have to call me 'Dad'!"

"Forget it if you don't want to learn."

"Dad, I want to learn!"

A look of sheer disgust washed over Chen Changsheng's face as he hurriedly stepped away.

Seeing this, Zhao Lin chased after him.

He followed Chen Changsheng out of the crowd.

"Where are we going now?"

"To find someone."

Zhao Lin shot him a glance. "That Mister you mentioned?"

"Yes. He should be here."

Chen Changsheng kept walking, looking left and right for a tea house or a tea stall.

Zhao Lin followed him into a tea house, glanced around, and then stepped back out.

It seemed he couldn't find the person.

They checked the roadside tea stalls as well, but there was still no sign of him.

After circling around, they eventually spotted a hanging banner in a somewhat quiet alleyway. It read: 'Zhong the Fortune-Teller's Tea Shop'.

Chen Changsheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw the sign.

"Since when did this old fellow become so flashy?"

Stepping into the alley, a fragrant waft of tea immediately greeted them.

It wasn't exactly a proper shop—at best, it was just a residential courtyard repurposed to serve as one.

Business, however, was booming. Square tables and chairs were set up in the courtyard, where people sat drinking tea and chatting idly in complete leisure.

The crux of it all was that the tea was not cheap.

A posted notice stated: One pot of tea for one hundred copper coins. No haggling.

Zhao Lin sniffed the air and remarked, "This tea fragrance is steeped right into the walls."

A waiter buzzed around the courtyard, serving tea and greeting guests. Right in the very center, an elderly-looking Mister lay in a rocking chair, gently waving a folding fan and humming a little tune.

He looked incredibly relaxed and carefree.

Spotting the newcomers, the waiter hurried over. "Aiyo, dear guests, unfortunate timing today! The courtyard is completely full. You see..."

"I'm looking for someone," Chen Changsheng said.

The moment Chen Changsheng's voice rang out...

Zhong Zhengyuan, who had been leisurely humming in his rocking chair, suddenly froze. His movements ground to a halt.

Why does that voice sound familiar...