In the morning, the mist is thick and the air is fresh! One can vaguely hear the crowing of roosters one after another. I don’t know whose dog barked! A fiery red sun has climbed to the top of the mountain, emitting thousands of rays of light!
Liu Ruyan opened her eyes amidst the chirping of birds outside the window, turned over and sat up. At this moment, he actually felt like he was in a trance. He didn't know where he was. He calmed down, rubbed his eyes, and then recalled that he passed by this place last night. It was getting late and he had not found an inn to stay, so he disturbed the old man. Later, the old man kindly took him in and stayed here for one night.
However, I had a good chat with the old man last night, and I drank a few more drinks without realizing it, so my head is not clear yet. Thinking of spending the night in a strange old man's house, a long-lost warmth and feeling surged in his heart!
At this moment, he heard Miss Chunlan and her grandfather talking in the yard. Far away but can't hear clearly what's being said?
A smile appeared on the corner of Liu Ruyan's mouth, she got dressed and got out of bed, opened the door and came to the yard. At this time, Miss Chunlan was feeding chickens and ducks in the shed. When the chickens and ducks saw the owner bringing food, they ran over like flying, scrambling to grab the food.
When Miss Chunlan saw Liu Ruyan approaching, she immediately smiled at him and said, "Mr. Liu...Brother Liu, good morning!" After saying that, she put down the food bowl in her hand, clapped her hands, and shook off the dust on her body.
Liu Ruyan also smiled at her and said, "Sister Chunlan, good morning! What were you busy with this morning?"
Miss Chunlan said: "I am feeding the chickens and ducks! A few months ago, my grandfather and I went to the Phoenix Market and bought the chicks and ducklings. Look, they have grown so big." As she said, Smiled at Liu Ruyan.
At this time, the old man walked in from outside the courtyard wall, holding a dry pipe in his hand. When he saw Liu Ruyan, he grinned and said, "Mr. Liu, how did you sleep last night?"
Liu Ruyan bowed to the old man, "Good morning, Grandpa Yang! Thanks to Grandpa Yang and Miss Chunlan for taking me in, I can have a good night's sleep!"
Mr. Yang took a deep breath of dry smoke and said to Liu Ruyan: "Young master Liu, there is no need to be polite. If you don't mind the poverty of this humble house, why not stay here for two more days and let me spend my time as a landlord? How about that?"
Liu Ruyan smiled and said: "Junior, I would like to thank Grandpa Yang and Miss Chunlan for their kindness. However, I have a teacher's duty, so I really can't stay for a long time. I will never forget the kindness of grandpa and Miss Chunlan, and I will definitely come to visit you in the future." "Yes." After a pause, he immediately clasped his hands into his fists, frowned and said seriously, "It's getting late, and it's time for the juniors to hit the road. Grandpa Yang, sister Chunlan, please take care of yourself. See you later. I'll say goodbye!" After that, he turned around and left. .
Master Yang looked at him and sighed, cupped his hands, and said slowly: "Since Young Master Liu has something important to do, I will no longer stay with you. If we are destined to meet again one day, we will definitely meet again! Come back when you have time. Sit down!" He looked at Liu Ruyan with a smile, his deep eyes calm and kind.
At this time, Miss Chunlan turned back to the room, searched under her pillow, and ran out with a small red bag in her hand.
Liu Ruyan had just taken a few steps and was about to go to the courtyard wall to lead the horse.
Suddenly, Miss Chunlan, who was standing aside, shouted to his back: "Brother Liu..." She looked at Liu Ruyan's back, and there was a different look in her eyes. Maybe it was excitement? Or sad? She looked at Liu Ruyan's figure so dreamily, as if she was a little dazed.
When Liu Ruyan heard the sound, she couldn't help being startled. She quickly turned around and said, "Sister Chunlan, what's wrong? Is there anything wrong?" His eyes flickered and his face looked suspicious.
Miss Chunlan was nagging, blinking her eyes and looking around, and said slightly nervously: "No... nothing! Brother Liu, this is the amulet I sewed for you last night, give it to you! Take it with you. , it will keep you safe, be more careful and take care along the way!" As he said that, he quickly ran to Liu Ruyan, handed the red amulet to him with both hands, and squeezed out a sad smile on his face.
Liu Ruyan couldn't help but feel warm in her heart, smiled at her, and took it with both hands. Youyou said: "Thank you, sister Chunlan, I will definitely keep it well." He paused and held up his hands, "Grandpa Yang, sister Chunlan, I will definitely come back to see you when I have time. Please stay and say goodbye!"
At this moment, he couldn't help but feel excited, and there was an inexplicable feeling in his heart! The chance encounter was so real and wonderful, but they were about to be separated in a blink of an eye, and his heart was suddenly filled with the sadness of separation. The affection between people is so subtle, it can inadvertently bring about a moment of touching, which makes his heart unable to calm down for a long time.
Liu Ruyan walked up to the white horse and stayed for a long time. Then she got on the horse, reined in the reins, glanced at Mr. Yang and Miss Chunlan, clamped the horse's belly with her feet, and the white horse raised its head, neighed, and flew toward the village. Run away.
Mr. Yang and Miss Chunlan waved to him and watched him ride away.
Accompanied by the sound of horse hooves, Liu Ruyan's figure gradually disappeared into the diffuse morning mist.
After leaving Yangjia Village, we ran all the way for half a day, crossing mountains and fields, one village after another, and finally arrived at the foot of Cuihua Mountain at noon.
The white horse shook its head, with white saliva coming out of its mouth, and panting heavily. It seemed that the horse was extremely tired from the long journey. Seeing this, Liu Ruyan jumped off the horse and led it to a mountain stream. She let the horse drink enough water and jumped into the water for a happy bath before climbing ashore and shaking the water drops on its body. .
Cuihua Mountain is located in the territory of Shu, stretching for hundreds of miles from north to south. The mountains are lined with cliffs, waterfalls, towering ancient trees, dense canyons, and many rare animals thrive in the forest. What a perfect place to practice and escape from the world!
Liu Ruyan stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up at the high mountain peaks above her head. She saw a huge mountain peak towering among the sea of clouds, shrouded in clouds and mist, floating and misty, appearing and disappearing, like a dreamland. Liu Ruyan was shocked by the magnificent and wonderful scenery in front of her, and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart: There is nothing better than this in the wonderland of heaven! Where is this human world? It’s clearly heaven!
I thought to myself, how great would it be if I could find a farmhouse on Cuihua Mountain, live here for a long time, and live a pastoral life where I work at sunrise and rest at sunset? The wonderful scene in front of him made him unable to help but have some reverie in his heart. Suddenly, I thought that I was going to see Huamei and Uncle Xu's family soon, and I was so excited that I couldn't express myself.
The vegetation in Cuihua Mountain is dense, and the trees all over the mountain are so lush that they grow so thick that they block out the sky and the sun, even the hot sunlight cannot penetrate.
There are two mountain paths leading to Mingyue Peak. One winds up from the gate of the front mountain, and the other winds up from the foot of the back mountain. The road up the front mountain is well-maintained, but it is a bit rugged and extremely steep. To climb Mingyue Peak, you need to walk through canyons and climb several cliffs. In some places, the plank road is less than two feet wide, so you need to lean on your side and tighten your chest and abdomen. Stick to the mountain wall and move slowly and carefully before passing. The journey to the front mountain is short, and there is a winding hiking trail that leads directly to the top of Mingyue Peak. If you are in a hurry and want to save time, climbing Qianshan is the best choice. The terrain of the back mountain is relatively gentle, but the distance is long. You need to climb several long and narrow mountains, go around more than a dozen passes, and go through thousands of twists and turns before you can reach the top of Mingyue Peak.
Liu Ruyan visited Cuihua Mountain Mingyue Peak ten years ago. At that time, he was only twelve years old. He came to Uncle Xu's house as a guest with his master and Huamei. When he was still young, the master met Uncle Xu. At that time, Uncle Xu was already a famous hero in the world. Many years ago, the glorious deeds of Xu Feng and Xu Daxia were circulated in the world. It is said that he hates evil as much as he wants, is a chivalrous man, and has unparalleled benevolence and righteousness... Almost all kinds of praise can be applied to him. It can be seen that the martial arts community at that time respected Xu Daxia very much!
He vaguely remembered that the master took him and Huamei on a carriage ride for two days and two nights before arriving at Cuihua Mountain. They hiked up from the back mountain, and it took them several hours to reach Hongqinju from the foot of the mountain to the top.
He thought for a moment, and in order to save time, he planned to climb via the Qianshan Trail. At this moment, all he wanted to do was to see Hua Mei as soon as possible! She stayed at Uncle Xu's place for a few months and lived with Miss Lengyue. The Hongqin residence was elegant and unique, with beautiful scenery. In addition, Uncle Xu's place had all kinds of delicious food. She was already having fun and not thinking about it. If it weren't for the master's sixtieth birthday approaching, I'm afraid she wouldn't be willing to return to that boring and remote thatched cottage.
Although the hiking trails here have long been well repaired, the mountain is steep and riding up the mountain is obviously not a good idea, so he thought about leaving the white horse at the "Mingyue" Inn at the foot of the mountain. Not far ahead, there is a place called "Feishuitan", located in the hinterland at the foot of the mountain. There are farmhouses and several inns there. The most famous among them is the "Mingyue" Inn.
He led the horse to the door of "Mingyue" Inn. At this time, it was lunch time, and there were already many guests sitting in the lobby. A thin second brother was running around in the lobby, serving tea and water, and was very busy. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a guest holding a horse standing at the door. He hurriedly ran forward and greeted: "This guest, please come in! Is your guest going to be a guest or staying in a hotel?" He hurriedly reached out and took the reins, trying to Lead the horse to the stable in the backyard.
Liu Ruyan said sternly: "Brother, I'm going up the mountain right away. Can you leave the foal in the inn and help me take care of it for a day?" He then smiled and said, "You can give me the money for feeding." Don’t worry, it will be enough.”
The waiter grinned brightly and said with a slight hesitation: "Sir, please wait a moment, I will go and ask the shopkeeper for instructions." After that, he ran to the counter and talked to the old shopkeeper.
After a moment, he ran over and said with a smile: "My guest, my shopkeeper said, you can keep the foal, but you have to pay one or two silver for feeding. Guest, what do you think?" He grinned. , showing a set of buck teeth.
Liu Ruyan was amused by his expression, and he laughed and said: "That's good, as long as you feed my white horse well, I will reward you five more coins." After that, he stretched out his hand and took out a few pieces of broken pieces. The silver was handed to the waiter.
The waiter took it with both hands, couldn't help but beam with joy, and hurriedly led the horse to the backyard.
Liu Ruyan immediately walked into the hall and sat down at a seat by the window. At this time, another waiter ran over and asked with a smile: "My guest, what do you want?"
Liu Ruyan hesitated for a moment and said to the waiter: "Bring me half a roast duck, two steamed buns, and a pot of green bamboo leaves." After that, he unloaded the long sword and the baggage and put them on the table, sitting upright. After running all the way, he was already hungry, thinking that it would not be too late to have a full meal before going up the mountain.
After a while, the food and wine were served on the table. He immediately poured the wine, picked up the steamed buns and roast duck and ate them.
After having enough wine and food, he packed his luggage and strode out of the store. At this moment, the sun was shining. He looked around, stretched, and strode up the mountain.
Walking straight along the foot of the mountain into the depths of the trees, the empty mountain was silent, with not many people seen along the way. He followed a mountain stream upstream. In the wilderness, he could only hear the chirping of birds and the sound of running water, but no other sounds could be heard.
As he walked in the leafy woods, his steps couldn't help but become brisk. This place was completely different from the "Black Valley" he passed yesterday. On the mountain road in the black valley, you can see the broken rocks that have collapsed from the mountain walls everywhere. It is very difficult to walk. There is a bare and steep deep stream next to you. If you are not careful, you will slide down the cliff. Walking on it is like walking on thin ice, which is extremely dangerous.
In Cuihua Mountain, although the road is rugged and densely covered with steep cliffs, the vegetation on both sides of the road is dense, and the entangled vegetation and vines have covered the cliffs and deep valleys. It didn't look that scary. It was much better than the bare black valley plank road.
Liu Ruyan thought that she would be able to meet Huamei and Master Xu's family soon, and she felt excited. After walking in the mountains for about an hour, he came to a mountain col. Next to the mountain col was a huge deep pit, which seemed to be three to four feet wide and ten feet deep. It was filled with the remains of collapsed buildings and some random items, making it a mess. A mountain eagle stopped on the debris and looked around for food. When it saw someone approaching, it immediately became alert, fluttered its wings, and fluttered. It seemed to have a bug in its mouth, and it looked towards the cliff on the other side. Fly over.
Liu Ruyan was standing on the mountain col to rest. Suddenly, she accidentally caught a glimpse of a stone tablet standing next to the pit. The stone tablet looked old and somewhat damaged and weathered, with the three characters "Mountain Temple" engraved on it. The inscription states that the mountain temple was built in the late Southern Song Dynasty, which is hundreds of years old. The temple inscription on the monument reads: This mountain temple was built in the late Southern Song Dynasty. It was very popular for hundreds of years. However, it was damaged in an earthquake and fell into disrepair for a long time until it completely collapsed.
Liu Ruyan looked at the ruins in front of her and stayed for a long time, as if imagining the complete appearance of the mountain temple standing next to the cliff. After taking a rest for a cup of tea, he took another step and continued moving forward. As we go further, the mountains gradually become steeper, winding and extending among the lofty mountains.
Unknowingly, he came to an iron cable bridge. The iron cable bridge flew between two towering peaks. The thick iron chains were embedded deeply in the mountain wall, and it looked quite impressive. There are planks of wood laid out on the bridge. Although iron nails are used to stabilize them, there are gaps half a foot wide between each plank. Looking down, you can see the deep canyon below, which is daunting. A timid person would never dare to walk across it. Liu Ruyan couldn't help but beat her heart when she saw that the iron cable bridge was extremely dangerous. However, there was only one road leading to the other side. If she wanted to climb Mingyue Peak, she could only There is a chain bridge across this road.
He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and tried to put one foot out on the wooden board. He grasped the iron chains on both sides tightly with both hands, and as soon as he stepped on it, the iron ropes began to sway slightly, which made his heart pound. Involuntarily shrinking back his feet, he thought to himself: If I had known that this road was so steep, why not take the gentler road at the back of the mountain? Even if you walk a little more, it's better than walking on it with fear! Alas, it seems that I chose the wrong path again and made the same mistake as before. If the master knew about this, I'm afraid he would be talked about again. If Huamei and Uncle Xu knew about it, they would definitely laugh at their timidity.
The scorching sun was in the sky, shining a clear light on the earth. The clothes on his body were soaked with sweat, and a gust of mountain wind blew on him. It was so cold that he couldn't help but shiver. At this moment, we are already halfway up the mountain, almost half the distance. If we go back and go around the back mountain, it will definitely take a lot of trouble. He thought to himself: Since such a bridge is built here, someone will definitely pass through. Since others can pass smoothly, why can't I?
He gritted his teeth and was determined to conquer this dangerous bridge! Then I thought, instead of defeating this bridge, it would be better to defeat myself! He stepped forward with one foot, grasped the iron chain firmly with both hands, abandoned distracting thoughts and fear, looked straight ahead, stepped on it with his left foot first, and the iron chain swayed slightly again. He was startled, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. After taking a breath, he opened his eyes again and took the second step decisively.
Both feet stepped on a wooden board, and the bridge swayed even more. At this moment, he suddenly had an idea and came up with a plan: Why not use his strength to fight? Instead of walking over slightly tremblingly, he might as well take advantage of the momentum and use the light gong technique of "Lingbo Weibu" to float over. Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, jumped forward, tapped the wooden board with his toes, and galloped over. When he came to the other side, he looked at the swaying iron rope and thought to himself: What a danger! He finally defeated this bridge on the cliff, and he finally lacked confidence in himself!
