After entering the city, the ground was much cleaner.
Walking is also much easier.
The Taoist took his time and walked along the street and passed through the city.
Slowly returned to Willow Street.
The willow trees are lush in midsummer. There is a small building with a flag with the word "Tao" at the door and a shop sign that says "Get rid of rats and worry." However, the door is locked and no one is setting up a stall at the door. It is very clean. No one seems to know that the incident in the Taiwei Mansion that caused uproar in the city a few days ago was caused by the Taoist priests living here.
The Taoist walked slowly over and opened the door.
"Squeak..."
Open the door and close it again.
However, the wooden door is not tight, and the afternoon sunlight shines through the cracks in the door, illuminating thin diagonal lines in the dark room. When I first came in, my eyes were not used to it, and it felt a little dim, but after just a moment, I could catch it. The light was scattered in the room.
Little has changed in the home.
The sharp contrast between the dim room and the dazzling light on the ground, the scorching sun and the coolness in the house is the feeling of summer.
"well……"
The Taoist sighed, unloaded his luggage, and sat down on the high bench.
"well……"
Another quiet sigh.
The little girl wearing three-color clothes imitated his way and sighed, and also imitated his way, turned her back to the high bench and jumped up to sit side by side with him, turning to look at him.
Rest after exertion is the most comfortable.
The Taoist sat here, and the girl also imitated him and sat here, neither one nor the cat caring about the passage of time.
It was probably almost dusk, and the Taoist was tired from sitting, so he got up and went to get the parcel.
The girl jumped down from the high bench and followed him, tilting her body and tilting her head to watch him untie the oilcloth, open the box and take out the painting.
The Taoist also ignored her.
This painting is about half a person long when rolled up, but after unfolding it, it becomes its width, and it also becomes a horizontal stripe that became popular in the past, almost as long as a person.
The so-called horizontal scrolls are also called horizontal hangings. The biggest difference from hand scrolls is that they can be hung on the wall.
Song You went up to the second floor and looked around the house.
The house is not big but not small either. Thanks to poverty, there are no decorations on the walls, just flat.
I took out the hook I bought on the road, carefully measured the width, pressed it against the wall, and it was deeply embedded in the wall. I hung the painting carefully, and it turned out to be just right.
Then the Taoist stood in the room in front of the painting, quietly watching the painting and comprehending its mystery.
The little girl turned back into a cat at some point, squatting at his feet and looking up with him without saying a word.
I have seen it once before on Beiqin Mountain and in front of the hut of Divine Doctor Cai, but now that I have seen it again, I am still amazed and have a different perception. What's more, hanging it up and taking a closer look at it now is naturally different from Master Dou's rough demonstration to him on the mountain.
The aura is mysterious and amazing.
Who says that the mysteries of aura are only exclusive to those who practice Taoism?
Master Dou back then and Master Kong today were all mortals, but their skills were so powerful that Master Dou made the world a reality with just a stroke of his pen. Master Kong made a wooden cat come true with a stroke of his carving knife. Such handwriting Looking at the past and the future, how many practitioners of Taoism can do this?
Counting the ancestors of Fulongguan in detail, each has his own strengths, but on the path chosen by each, how many of them have reached the end? How many of them have the same attainments as Master Dou in painting skills and Master Kong in carving skills in practicing magic?
Can't this be called a fairy?
What's even more amazing is this process.
The Taoist couldn't help but start thinking again, just like he did at Master Kong's house in Yizhou——
What kind of world is this?
How can an originally ordinary painting, no matter how sophisticated the painting skills, no matter how exquisite the paint, no matter how rare the painting paper is, connect to the mystery of heaven and earth, nurture the natural aura, and finally become a world of its own?
In this process, there are incredible answers.
It is the essence of the world and the end of the road.
Back in Master Kong's home in Yizhou, everything was very short-lived and could not be seen clearly. Song You could not leave Mao'er, who wanted to pursue freedom, just because he wanted to practice and gain enlightenment. It's different now. This painting is hanging on the upper floor of his house, where you can slowly look at it, feel it, and think about it.
This line of work is truly an amazing opportunity.
I have to thank you all and Master Dou.
At this time, when I looked at it like this, I became more and more amazed as I looked at it. I was gradually moved by its aura, attracted by its mystery, and couldn't extricate myself.
I don’t know how much time has passed.
The cat at her feet has yawned so many times, changed her posture so many times, and left and come back so many times. From time to time she glances at the Taoist and tugs on his trousers, but sees that he ignores her and only tugs on her. He put down his front paws, shook his head, then walked away to play by himself for a while, and came back after a while.
So back and forth.
The sky gradually darkened and the painting could no longer be seen clearly.
The Taoist suddenly woke up.
When he looked down, he saw the cat next to him, lying on the ground and yawning, but he also imitated his behavior and looked up at the painting.
As if aware of it, she turned to look at him.
The Taoist thought for a while, realized something, and looked at the painting.
Just now, he felt like he had lost track of time again. Because of what he had learned from Yunding Mountain before, he was afraid that if he looked here, a long time would pass by unknowingly.
But now that I think about it, I should have just lost track of time just because I was addicted to it. Being too addicted is not something more mysterious. And every perception in the world should be different. Although this painting contains a spiritual mystery that is rare in the world, everything here and now is different from the situation in Yunding Mountain at that time, and the experience at that time was also different. That's hard to copy.
What's more, this is viewing a painting, and you won't be able to see it once it gets dark.
"Taoist priest, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." The Taoist replied, lowered his head and asked, "Is Sanhua Empress also looking at paintings with me?"
"You look at it and I look at it too."
"Did Sanhua Empress see any clues?"
"What is a doorway?"
"It's just enlightenment."
"Did the Taoist priest see any clues?"
"See something."
"Then Sanhua Empress also noticed something!"
"That's it."
The Taoist nodded and thought it was good.
Taoist priests are all here to see it, and Sanhua Empress naturally also wants to see it here. The Taoist priests have seen some knowledge, and Sanhua Empress can also see some knowledge. There is nothing wrong with it.
The Taoist stretched out his hand and flicked his fingers, and several rays of spiritual power flew into the painting and disappeared.
Then he turned around and went downstairs.
I walked a lot of muddy roads today and yesterday, and my shoes were covered in mud. The hems of my robes and trousers were also stained a lot. I had to clean them while there was still some daylight.
The calico cat shook his head and suddenly became energetic. He ran very fast on his four little feet. He followed him downstairs and sat next to him to watch him wash clothes.
Highlight one step at a time.
"Taoist priest, why don't you put on some clothes? That way you won't get dirty and don't have to wash them."
"I don't have the skills of Sanhua Empress."
"You are very powerful!"
"That's not as powerful as Sanhua Empress."
"Yes!"
The Taoist always lowered his head and washed carefully.
In the following days, except for opening and closing the door several times when going out to buy food every day, the Taoist kept the door locked. Sometimes she even refused to go out to buy food, and instead invited Sanhua Empress to go.
Most of the time, he stood upstairs, facing the paintings on the wall, and stood there all day long.
It just so happened that the twelve taels of silver given by the water ghosts in the Yudai River had been received. The silver money Wu Xia borrowed from the Jianghu people and the income from selling swords in the ghost market were also shared by Sanhua Empress more than half. Taoist and Sanhua The empress doesn’t have to cook by herself these days. It’s okay to buy food and meat outside every day.
It just taught Sanhua Empress the concept of money, how to use money, how to deal with people, so as to avoid being cheated in the future, and by the way, she could also practice her arithmetic skills.
A little compliment when she comes back can give her a sense of accomplishment.
It just shows an attitude.
Just like the previous Taoist who went out to the city to search, it seemed that he only had a few days. However, during these few days, the closed door and the "exorcism and subjugation of demons" shop signs were removed, which was enough for those who learned the news. The rich and powerful know his attitude, thoughts and preferences. Now that I am at home, I can actually open the door. I just need to keep it closed for a few more days, so I can express it more.
When it opens again after a period of time, most of the sensible, sensible and polite people will not come again.
Sanhua Empress often turned into a human form and wrote downstairs for most of the day. She would go upstairs several times to take a look at him.
Sometimes she would turn into a cat and run out to play, catching cicadas on the willow trees, or lying in the doorway to take a nap in the sun, or going out to hunt other cats. Naturally, the mouse-catching session every night was also indispensable.
The heroine sent them straw ropes she had made herself to smoke out mosquitoes.
Empress Sanhua gave her a few mice as a return gift.
It wasn't until one dusk at the end of May that the Taoist finally took a rest and stretched out of the house.
I changed into ordinary clothes and went out for a walk.
The dog days of summer are approaching, and it is getting hotter and hotter day by day, often sweltering. It only gets a little better at dusk, but there is wind in the evening today, which is rare and refreshing.
The Taoist walked around and walked to the teahouse diagonally opposite. He ordered a pot of good tea and sat down in the corner to drink it slowly.
Waiting for the sky to dim.
There is no curfew in Changjing, and there are many people drinking tea at night. Some people play some gambling games, some people hear Mr. Shu telling stories, and some people get together to share things that only belong to friends.
There were several literati next door, drinking tea and reading eulogies.
Song You knew it after listening to a few words.
It is Yunding Mountain written by Cui Nanxi.
"Cui Gong's article is really good. Finally, there is a good article." A literati nodded and said.
"Cui Gong himself is knowledgeable and talented, and his writing is outstanding. He is just trapped in books and stuck in one place for a long time, without seeing the vast world." Another scholar replied, "But since Cui Gong was demoted to the remote Pingzhou After leaving the land, my vision and mind will naturally be different from before, and when I meet the immortals again, I will naturally get a masterpiece."
"In my opinion, it is also touched by the spirit of immortals. This story is inherently interesting. As long as it is written truthfully, it will be a masterpiece. If it is written better, it may be passed down through the ages."
"What Brother Ou Tai said is reasonable..."
"However, Cui Gong, a weak scholar, actually has the courage to climb over the iron rope. It is not something that ordinary people can do. Not everyone can write about the feelings after passing the iron rope. Moreover, if it were not Cui Gong, it would be someone else. It’s hard to walk with an immortal when you meet one, and it’s hard to walk to Yunding Mountain if you walk with an immortal.”
"I'm so envious..."
"Who says it's not..."
The Taoist people around me felt comfortable in their hearts after hearing this.
(End of chapter)
