Chapter 38: Every Disaster Began with a Motorcycle

Night fell, and the dog, likely parched from the excessive salt, began to whine and whimper in search of water. Chu Chen watched with alarm; seeing the slobber dripping from the dog's mouth, he wondered if the creature had been poisoned. The sharp-eyed dog immediately spotted the unboiled brine and rushed over to lap it up greedily.

In an instant, the truth dawned on Chu Chen. Could it be that the dog was simply thirsty?

The dog thought: *I’ll be damned if I don’t try rubbing salt on your mouth.*

Chu Chen instructed Huzi to fetch a bucket of fresh water from outside. Watching the dog splash around in the water, he finally felt at ease, though he decided to keep a close eye on the animal for a few more days. Thus, the two men and the dog returned home.

Five days passed, and seeing that the dog was perfectly fine, Chu Chen gathered everyone to teach them the process individually, step by step. Furthermore, he had the filtration machine firmly enclosed with wooden planks, leaving only the inlet and outlet exposed, and added a locked hatch for changing the filter elements. From that moment on, the salt factory was officially in operation.

When the first batch of salt was produced, Li Qinglian looked at the snow-white refined salt in her hands and asked with concern, "Husband, doing this in private is against the law. What if we get caught?"

Chu Chen looked at the worried Li Qinglian, gave her a reassuring look, and said, "How about I take you to the city for a tour?"

"How could I? The workshop can't do without me right now; how could I leave?"

Chu Chen began to fret. This wretched workshop had effectively tethered Li Qinglian to Mashan Village. It seemed he needed to resolve this problem properly. Although the machine was sealed and even Li Qinglian didn't know its internal construction, he wouldn't feel at ease without one of his own people watching over it.

"How about I take Sister Xiufang to my workshop?" Li Qinglian, understanding his concerns, offered a suggestion.

*What kind of talk is that?* He couldn't possibly trust her; currently, Gu Xiufang only cooked for the workshop. He immediately shook his head and said, "No. You know, that place... for now, I only trust you."

Li Qinglian nodded, a hint of secret joy appearing at his show of trust. With no better solution for the moment, he decided he would go to the city himself. The timeline he had discussed with Zhou Shicai—three months—would likely need to be adjusted. He couldn't just let piles of salt sit there gathering dust.

Since Huzi, his usual driver, wasn't available, operating the mule cart proved particularly difficult for Chu Chen. Not only was the ride unbearably bumpy, but the mule would also insist on relieving itself at the most inconvenient times. His thoughts immediately turned to the several motorcycles parked in the supermarket basement within his space.

The cars on the roadside were out of the question—too shocking for this world. But a motorcycle, if disguised properly, should be fine. Now that he had money in his pocket and a gun in his hand, Chu Chen felt his courage growing as he adapted to this world.

Pretending to go for a stroll to the path at the edge of the village, he slipped into the supermarket space. Arriving at the basement, he looked at the scattered motorcycles, checking each fuel tank cap and looking for keys left in the ignitions. The space was miraculous; if a person had parked and left the key in the ignition, the key remained there.

"Lucky me," Chu Chen muttered, pulling out a key and opening the fuel cap. "Oh, thank you, kind sir, for leaving it full of gas."

He mounted the bike and started the engine in one smooth motion. With the roar of the engine, Chu Chen drove it out of the space and onto the path. Most of the village was working at the workshop, so he wasn't worried about being seen. In fact, it wouldn't matter if he were. The village had already been abuzz with rumors, ranging from his overnight wealth to his ability to turn stone into salt. In the eyes of the villagers of Mashan, Chu Chen was already a disciple of an immortal, so they were long past being surprised.

After grabbing a bag of salt from his house, Chu Chen headed toward the village entrance.

On the streets of Qingniu Town, Chu Chen rode his motorcycle, putt-putting through the thoroughfare.

"What kind of monster is that? It’s so fast! Is an immortal descending to earth?"

"What immortal? Listen to that sound—it’s clearly a mythical beast. Hurry, get out of the way!"

Chu Chen ignored the stares and continued toward Qingyun City.

"What manner of monster dares to charge at Qingyun City?"

At the city gate, several guards with swords drawn watched Chu Chen with caution. One thought to himself: *That thing is too fast. I was almost bitten by it.*

"Uh, officers, this is called an 'iron horse.' It’s not a monster, just a means of transport from our countryside," Chu Chen explained helplessly. He knew that bringing this out would turn heads, but he hadn't expected to attract the guards.

"Hmph, you’re that strange fellow from the countryside. I don't care what kind of horse it is—come with us to see the City Lord, and he shall decide."

With that, they surrounded him, trapping the motorcycle. Blades were pressed against Chu Chen's neck. Although he had a gun, he wasn't arrogant enough to kill government officials at the gate of Qingyun City. With a sigh, he pulled the key from the ignition.

Just then, a dozen more guards arrived from a distance; someone must have reported him. Chu Chen thought to himself that he was in trouble now; it seemed he had no choice but to visit the City Lord's mansion. In Qingyun City, he only knew Zhou Shicai, Zhou Heng, and two women. He would go along for now, but if there was real danger, he wouldn't hesitate to use his "immortal methods."

Seeing Chu Chen subdued, the guards relaxed slightly. The man who appeared to be the leader mimicked Chu Chen, mounted the motorcycle, and gave it a slap on the back, shouting, "Giddyap!"

The motorcycle didn't budge. Chu Chen nearly laughed out loud.

"Damn it, it’s a stubborn one," the guard muttered, slapping the bike again with the hilt of his sword. The effect remained the same. He turned to Chu Chen and demanded, "Tell this iron horse to move, or I won't be so polite!"

"Officer, this thing only moves for me. Why don't you let me ride it, and I'll follow you?"

"Hah! You think you're clever? Trying to run? Not a chance!" He waved his hand at the others. Seven or eight guards crowded around. "Carry it back!"

Chu Chen then witnessed a marvelous sight: the guards carrying the motorcycle in a grand procession toward the Qingyun City magistrate's office. Before long, they reached a massive structure. A large drum sat before the gate, and a pair of stone lions glared menacingly ahead. This was undoubtedly the ancient equivalent of a courthouse.

In the main hall, they placed the motorcycle, with the guards standing on either side holding staves. Chu Chen was ordered to kneel. For a modern man, how could he possibly do that?

"Who stands before the court? Why do you not kneel before this City Lord? Do you hold any rank or title?" a majestic voice boomed from the front.