Chapter 596: Do I Look Like a Rat or a Human?
“Sir, are you looking to rent a house?”
“Need a place to stay? An inn, perhaps?”
“Where are you headed, sir? Visiting someone or looking for someone? Do you know the way? Need a guide? I know every alley and street in Yundu City like the back of my hand! I can lead the way and teach you how to get there. Five wen for close spots, never more than ten wen even for the farthest places. I charge fair prices!”
“Same here!!”
Just like in Yidu, the gates of Yundu City were crowded with people trying to make a living. All sorts of folks gathered there, and though they didn’t completely swarm the Daoist, five or six of them did approach when they saw him.
Clearly, business was tough, so tough they wouldn’t even spare a poor Daoist. But how many poor Daoists would be willing to spend money like this?
Song You gave them a polite nod and a friendly smile, but didn’t speak. That alone was enough to make most of them back off on their own.
Only one scrawny young man, with a bruised and swollen face, stubbornly kept following him and wouldn’t give up.
“Sir, you clearly aren’t local. You’re bound to be unfamiliar with the city. No matter where you’re headed, I’ll take you there for just five wen, and I’ll show you the route too, so you’ll remember it next time. I guarantee you’ll get it in one go!”
“...” Song You could only sigh in resignation. He glanced back at the fair, clean little face of his child follower, then turned to the young man and said, “I’m just a poor wandering Daoist. I’ve barely a few coins left in my pouch, and I still need them to get to Zhao Commandery, and then south to Yunzhou. Without any income along the way, even managing food and lodging in Yundu will be hard, let alone paying you. Besides, we don’t even know where we’re going yet. Best you go find someone else, so you don’t miss out on a better opportunity.”
“Sir, do you know any Daoist arts?” The scrawny young man looked at Song You, then at Lady Calico, and finally at the jujube-red horse. His expression clearly said, You’re my opportunity. He still refused to leave.
“I know a few techniques.”