Lu Ling Feng turned back to knock on the door. As he approached, the door swung open before he even raised his hand.
The pale-faced, red-eyed stationer once again poked his head out, his hoarse voice stating, "I heard what you two said. This was indeed an official station, but it's been abandoned. The new station is ten miles away. Please go there to stay."
As the strange stationer finished speaking, thunder and lightning erupted again. Lu Ling Feng was no longer polite, pushing against the doorjamb, "The storm has arrived. Do you really want to drive us away?"
The stationer said, "I told you, this station is abandoned!"
Lu Ling Feng snorted coldly, "If this station is abandoned, then how come you, the stationer, are still here?"
"I came to Gan Tang Station as a stationer eight years ago. Three years ago, it was abandoned, and I had nowhere to go, so I made this my home. Is that wrong?"
The stationer system of the Great Tang Dynasty was not within the official organization, but rather an "outside" position, where individuals were responsible for their own profits and losses. It was similar to a state-owned private enterprise.
The station, located in a bustling area and a transportation hub, could earn a considerable amount of money.
In fact, making money was just a small matter. If they were lucky, they might be noticed by officials from various places who were passing through or staying there, and become a servant in their household, which could be considered a great leap forward.
Therefore, many people were motivated to take on the task of managing a station.
Moreover, stations could not be established just like that. Generally, they required the support of officials in the local government and needed to be registered and reported.
In other words, one needed to be well-connected in the local area and have acquaintances in the government to be able to establish an official station.
Lu Ling Feng didn't buy that, and with a resounding voice, he said, "Since you were once a stationer, and it's a stormy night, you should let the imperial officials stay. Whether this station is abandoned or not is the concern of the manager. If you keep pushing back, be careful, I'll punish you!"
The strange stationer sighed, "Since you insist on staying, there are some things I need to tell you beforehand."
"This station... is not clean!"
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the stationer's face, casting a ghastly and eerie glow.
Pei Xi Jun shrank into Wei Ming's embrace, clinging tightly to him and refusing to let go.
Fei Ji Shi was also startled.
After all, it was ancient times, and during the Great Tang period, people were quite reverent and fearful of ghosts and spirits.
Wei Ming patted Pei Xi Jun's back, offering a few words of comfort, then jumped off his horse, walked forward, and handed a silver ingot to the stationer.
"The rain is about to come down hard. Please be so kind as to give us some accommodation."
Wei Ming smiled slightly, his smile as warm and comforting as a spring breeze. The stationer didn't resist much, simply sighed helplessly, and stepped aside.
The heavy rain suddenly arrived, and everyone ran towards the eaves of the main hall to seek shelter. The stationer, however, walked leisurely in the pouring rain, his steps measured as he approached them.
Lu Ling Feng shouted, "What are you dawdling for? Open the door quickly!"
The stationer took out a key, opening the lock while saying, "Ever since the station was abandoned, I've been living in the side rooms. This hall door has been locked for years."
However, when he pushed open the hall door, there was no dust flying. Wei Ming wiped the table, and it was clean and spotless, not like a place that hadn't been lived in for years.
Everyone exchanged glances, understanding that there was something strange about this station. The strange stationer was lying.
The stationer lit a candle, looking at Wei Ming and his companions, "Forgive me for being blind. I really can't tell who is the official and who is the servant among you. I don't know how to address you, my superiors?"
Wei Ming, Pei Xi Jun, and Lu Ling Feng were all dressed in luxurious clothes, wearing exquisite embroidered silk robes, while Su Wu Ming was wearing a simple linen garment, although it was neat and tidy. Fei Ji Shi was slightly more disheveled.
Su Wu Ming introduced himself, "I am Su Wu Ming, the newly appointed Sima of Nan Zhou."
Pointing to Wei Ming, he introduced, "This one is even more impressive, Wei Ming, the Imperial Inspector of Shan Nan Xi Dao, and his family and old servants."
"As for this one..." Su Wu Ming didn't know how to introduce him.
Lu Ling Feng said expressionlessly, "I am Wei Ming's personal military advisor."
The stationer let out a cold, sarcastic laugh, "So, you're an official without an official position, a self-proclaimed official? You dare to speak of punishment, what kind of arrogance do you have?"
"Although I, Liu Shi Ba, have been a stationer for a few years, I've met many officials, but I've never seen a self-proclaimed official with such arrogance!"
Lu Ling Feng was on the verge of exploding. Wei Ming, seeing the show had ended, stepped forward, "Liu Shi Ba, is it? Although Lu Xiong is only my personal military advisor, he comes from a noble family, a descendant of the Fan Yang Lu clan. Don't underestimate him."
Liu Shi Ba still scoffed, "No wonder he's so arrogant, he's actually from the Fan Yang Lu clan."
"Alright." Wei Ming waved his hand to interrupt, he was truly afraid that Lu Ling Feng would lose his temper and give Liu Shi Ba a stab. Of the three Liu brothers, Liu Shi Ba was considered the most kind-hearted. He didn't want the man to die because he was too talkative.
"We've been on the road all day, our stomachs are rumbling. Brother Shi Ba, please make us some food to fill our bellies."
As he spoke, he took out another silver ingot. Liu Shi Ba refused, "Wei Imperial Inspector has already paid. The previous ingot is enough."
"Although this station is abandoned, I still have some grain and vegetables stored. Please wait a moment, I'll go make some food."
Wei Ming smiled, "Thank you."
Su Wu Ming suddenly spoke, "Liu Shi Ba, how did you lose your finger?"
Liu Shi Ba raised his hand, glanced at it, and responded indifferently, "A wild dog bit it off."
After Liu Shi Ba left, Lu Ling Feng finally slammed his fist on the table, extremely displeased, "Unbelievable! A mere stationer, actually looks down on me, a descendant of the Fan Yang Lu clan!?"
Wei Ming smiled but said nothing. The concept of family clans in the Tang Dynasty was deeply ingrained in the bone marrow. The Five Great Families and the Seven Great Families, even in plain clothes, dared to laugh at the officials and ministers.
The Fan Yang Lu clan, in the Great Tang Dynasty alone, had eight prime ministers, thousands of jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations), and over two hundred officials of the fifth rank and above. Their arrogance was actually normal. Anyone else, they would probably be even more arrogant and domineering.
Su Wu Ming had doubts, "That Liu Shi Ba, no matter how you look at him, doesn't seem like a stationer. And he said that the main hall hasn't been lived in for years, but besides being a bit rundown, it's spotless."
At that moment, a noise came from outside the door.
"Who's there?"
With a whoosh, Lu Ling Feng darted out, but there was no one there.
Wei Ming followed, looked up, and scanned the plaque above. There was a red-clothed figure with long hair, scarlet eyes, and vertical pupils, exuding a faint snake-like smell. His appearance was almost identical to Liu Shi Ba's.
Liu Shi Jiu, what a pitiful soul!
Born with a monstrous appearance, his mother died, his father abandoned him, and he was raised by snakes. He followed his second brother to this station, and was instigated by his elder brother, Liu Shi Qi, to murder someone. Later, he was taken in by the Gan Tang County Constable, and was enslaved to kill and collect wealth for him.
But it was strange. How could a normal person be raised by a group of cold-blooded animals?
Could it be that those pythons were all spirits?
It wasn't impossible, after all, the Tang Gui world was still somewhat different from the historical Great Tang.
Just then, Liu Shi Ba came over with two plates of wild vegetable dumplings, "What are you looking at at the door?"
"Liu Shi Ba, besides you, is there anyone else in this station?"
After Lu Ling Feng finished speaking, Liu Shi Ba's brows flickered, and he lowered his head to respond, "This station is only occupied by me, where else would there be anyone else?"
"Impossible, I was right here just now, and I clearly saw a figure."
Lu Ling Feng's sharp gaze shot at him, Liu Shi Ba couldn't stand it, and hurriedly carried the vegetable dumplings inside, saying as he walked, "You must be starved and seeing ghosts. If you don't eat soon, you'll even see ghosts."
Wei Ming stopped Fei Ji Shi from stuffing the vegetable dumplings into his mouth, and instead called out, "Brother Shi Ba, why don't you eat? Let's eat together."
Liu Shi Ba cupped his hands, "Thank you, Wei Imperial Inspector, for your kindness. But I've already eaten. I have to go feed the chickens, I won't disturb you."
Fei Ji Shi heard the word "chicken" and immediately said, "Go ahead and kill a chicken. Old Fei loves eating chicken more than anything!"
Liu Shi Ba shook his head, "The chickens are for laying eggs, you can't kill them."
He turned back, walked a few steps, then stopped, "Oh, right, after you finish eating, go to the first room in the right wing to rest. That room is large, last month a traveling monk stayed there. It has more people."
Lu Ling Feng frowned, "Doesn't this station have an upper room?"
"The station does have two upper rooms." Liu Shi Ba seemed to think of something, turning to Wei Ming, "Your Lordship is the Imperial Inspector of Shan Nan Xi Dao, a rank of the fifth grade. According to the Great Tang etiquette rules, you can stay in the left upper room."
"As for the right upper room... hehe, the unclean part of the station is there."
Then he turned back to look at Lu Ling Feng, "According to the Great Tang etiquette, officials of the fifth grade and above, and officials of the Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng four surnames who are currently in office, can stay. This self-proclaimed military advisor of the Fan Yang Lu clan, if you have the courage, why don't you go stay there!"
"You!" Lu Ling Feng had been in a good mood, enjoying his travels, and had almost forgotten about being demoted from Chang'an. But a mere stationer, belittling him again and again, brought back memories of his past experiences, and his anger flared up.
"Brother Shi Ba, go ahead and leave." After Liu Shi Ba left, Wei Ming turned, patted Lu Ling Feng on the shoulder, "The so-called gentleman should be free-spirited and uninhibited. Like Ruan Ji, he could be carefree in front of Sima Zhao, and could get drunk at the feet of beautiful women, with no other thoughts."
"Just because a stationer isn't respectful enough to you, what's there to be angry about?"
"Besides, Lu Xiong, your temperament is indeed a bit too arrogant. If you truly love the Great Tang, if you love the millions of people in the Great Tang, Lu Xiong, the first thing you need to learn is to be humble and not be arrogant. Don't forget the lineage of the Fan Yang Lu clan, but abandon the arrogance of the Fan Yang Lu clan!"
"I see the storm outside has stopped. Since you can't stomach those vegetable dumplings, I'll take you to eat barbecue outside."