"There are still dozens of miles of mountain road to Anqing. If we walk slowly, even if we can get there, I'm afraid we won't be able to enter the city." The woman said to Song You, "If we ride a horse, we can enter the city, but it's a pity. The scenery along the way near Anqing, how do you choose?"
"I'm here for a trip and want to see more of the scenery."
"Wise choice."
The woman then led the horse forward: "I heard from my master that the last section from Lingbo to Anqing, approaching Anqing, is known as the Ten Mile Gallery, and the scenery is different in the morning and evening. Besides, a large number of people from all walks of life are pouring in now. Anqing, even if Anqing has tourists coming often and there are many inns and inns, it still can't handle so many people. I'm afraid the ruined temples outside the city will be crowded, and there will be no place to live in the city."
"rational."
Song You replied softly.
Listening to this woman's serious words, including when she was negotiating with the bandits yesterday, what actually came to his mind was the way she was beheading grass with a knife.
Unexpectedly, the woman suddenly turned around.
Song You was not surprised and looked at her calmly.
"and……"
The woman looked at his horse again: "You can't ride a horse, right?"
"I know how to ride, but I don't ride well."
"Then you are uneasy about the saddle?"
"I like walking."
"possible……"
The two figures walked away while talking.
This road is sometimes at the top of the mountain, sometimes at the bottom of the mountain, and sometimes on the mountainside. Horse bells jingle, and dozens of miles of mountain road are at your feet.
But the calico cat seemed to be unable to hear their voices, and ran around minding its own business, either going to the riverside to see the fish below, or going to the edge of the cliff to see how high it was below. She had her own things to be busy with, so she just walked back and forth. They were all before and after Song You, and they were never far away.
The Shili Gallery under the dusk sky is indeed beautiful, just like the scenery and ink blurred by top painting masters. With the blessing of skylight, it is reflected in the river, making it very beautiful and quiet.
Just halfway through, it got dark.
It's just right, you can watch half of the dusk today, and you can watch half of the dawn tomorrow.
There is a pavilion here called Yanxian Pavilion.
There is a stone swallow statue on the left side of the pavilion, and there is a stone trough in front, which is filled with soil and filled with residual incense.
It seems that the local people were grateful to a certain Yanxian for building it.
The two stopped in the pavilion, lit a bonfire, took out a small pot and boiled a pot of water. After having a dinner of steamed buns and pancakes, they each took out their quilts and lay down on either side of the fire.
When you open your eyes, you will see the bright moon and stars.
The woman lay down before him and spoke before him: "We will arrive in Anqing early tomorrow morning."
"yes."
"Meeting you is considered fate, and getting along with you is considered fun. When we meet people in the world, we are acquaintances. When you arrive in Anqing County, if you have time, you can come and find me. Although I don't know where we live now. But the Liujiang Conference is open After that, you will definitely be able to find the location of our Xishan Sect. Although our Xishan Sect is not as wealthy as some gangs, we can still provide you with a good meal."
"good."
Song You agreed.
This woman has a casual and active personality. There is no burden in getting along with such a person. Moreover, she is also interesting and will not shrink back when encountering difficulties, no matter how big or small. It is quite easy to walk with her these two days.
The crackling of the campfire brought a comfortable temperature, and the calico cat burrowed into his blanket, making it ticklish.
Song You gradually closed his eyes.
Even the two horses were sleeping outside.
It's just that the yellow-maned horse slept standing up, while the bay-red horse slept lying down, which shows that it feels safe in this strange place.
The moon sets across the river, and there are several peaks in the sky.
There was some movement at night. The woman got up and added firewood. The temperature dropped in the middle of the night and the fog started. This only made the cats cling closer to Song You's arms, and they also warmed each other.
…
Early the next morning, several birds were singing in the distance.
The cat seemed to be tempted and began to crawl forward in the tightly wrapped blanket to investigate outside.
This also woke up Song You.
As soon as the blanket was lifted, the calico cat suddenly jumped out, full of energy, and ran a few steps out of the pavilion, staring at the tree without blinking.
The woman had woken up early and was sitting cross-legged with a knife across her leg.
The fire in the middle had long since burned out.
Song You couldn't help but sit up and said hello:
"Wake up early, Shima."
"It's too cold to sleep." The woman turned her head and glanced at him, "You slept well."
"Thank you for adding firewood in the middle of the night."
"It's just a matter of warmth or cold..." The woman glanced at Song You's felt blanket, "I don't see that you, a Taoist priest, are quite rich."
"A gift from a destined person."
"Then you know a lot of destined people."
"Just for fun."
"Go to the river to wash your face and wake up." The woman stood up, "I'll light a fire again and boil some hot water. When you come back after washing your face and have a warm meal, we should leave. "
"Thank you very much."
Song You knew that she didn't like to be coy, so he walked towards the river without saying anything.
I also brought a water bag with me.
However, the calico cat had been attracted by the chirping birds in the tree and did not follow him. Instead, he stood there and stared up at him.
"What? Want to get it off?"
A woman's voice came.
The calico cat immediately lowered his head and looked at her doubtfully.
"I also like to shoot birds."
The woman took out a slingshot from her quilt bag and waved it around in front of her like a show off: "It's a pity that you don't know how to use it..."
It’s really a show off——
After shaking it in a circle, she took it back.
The calico cat tilted its head, becoming even more confused.
Then the woman started to light a fire.
The birds are still chirping.
The calico cat looked up at the bird and down at the person. It seemed like he was torn in his heart, but he finally gave up on the bird and ran to the woman to watch her light the fire.
But the fog was heavy in the early morning, and the dry firewood and fire starters were a little moist, making it difficult to light it with tinder alone.
"Pah, pah, pah..."
The heroine clicked again and again, and the flint kept hitting.
"Hammer..."
The woman murmured casually, and with a glance from the corner of her eye, she saw the cat squatting next to her, watching her igniting the fire intently, its neck stretched so long that it almost couldn't get in to see.
As if she couldn't light a fire and looked good.
"Aren't you going to see your bird?"
The woman laughed and continued to do useless work.
The calico cat turned to look at her for a long time, with a thoughtful look on his face. Then he suddenly took two steps forward and approached the firewood:
"call……"
A mouthful of bright yellow flames spit out.
The flame lasted for a short time and seemed to be half-fingered. It could not ignite the firewood, but it quickly dried the igniting material and ignited it.
The woman was shocked.
"Cheng!"
She opened her eyes wide, stood up instantly, half-sheathed her knife, and stared at the calico cat warily.
The calico cat retreated to its original position and stared at her with its head tilted.
Looked at the fire again, then back at her.
That look also seemed to show off.
"laugh……"
The woman slowly sheathed her long sword and sat back down.
As if she remembered something, her eyes flickered. After thinking for a few times, she bent down to hold up the fire. She took a few glances at the cat and then continued to warm the fire. She didn't know what she was thinking about.
By the time Song You came back, the fire was already burning brightly.
The woman didn't say anything, she just took out the steamed buns and had breakfast, and then the two of them continued their journey, just like before.
Shili Gallery, half a mile left.
At dusk, the sky is dim and the scenery is quiet. In the morning, the mist is shrouded, fresh and dusty, like a fairyland. These are beautiful scenes that are difficult to see in paintings.
Not long after traveling through the mountains, a small town gradually appeared in front of us.
Before reaching the city entrance, I saw the stone monument first.
"Anqing County Boundary..."
Song You read out the words on the stone tablet.
Then the two of them walked towards the city gate.
There were officers checking at the door.
When Song You presented an ultimatum, women also had a guide.
After all, he is a famous sect, and even if he is disliked by the court, he still has some channels. It's just a normal walk in the rivers and lakes. This time I went out to attend the Liujiang Conference. If there were no road guides, it would still be inconvenient.
After entering the city gate, it was true that it was full of people carrying knives and swords. With the simple eaves and tile corners, this small town was immediately filled with the atmosphere of the world.
"Your Mightiness……"
Song You heard the woman's voice and turned around quickly.
I saw this woman saying to him: "When the road ends, it's time for you and me to part ways."
"nature."
"Before we say goodbye, I have a question that I'm holding back in my heart, and I feel very uncomfortable." The woman frowned, and she did seem to have a curious temperament. "I wonder if you can answer it?"
"Excuse me, Heroine."
"The story you told earlier in Lingbo, about meeting the cat god on the Jinyang Road..." The woman glanced at the calico cat, "Isn't it also a calico cat?"
"yes."
"Finished asking."
"Do you still have any questions, Shiba?"
"No more." The woman pointed to the left and right, "I'll go this way and you go that way. I'll go look for a master, and you can go look for a place to live. I wish you good luck."
"See you again if we are destined."
"See you in the world."
The two of them bowed to each other and separated, which was quite free and easy.
The streets are very narrow and people come and go.
Jianghu people often brought horses and mules, and some also brought donkeys. However, donkeys were weak and loved by literati and Taoists, but they were not liked by Jianghu people. In addition, these Jianghu people also carry weapons, which makes the already narrow streets more difficult to pass. They either brush against horses or are touched by swords.
People here are about to catch up with the temple fair in Yidu.
Maybe this is a temple fair for Jianghu people.
With so many people, it was hard for Song You not to doubt——
Where else can I find accommodation in the city?
