Early the next morning, it was just dawn.
Song You had already checked out of the room, followed the store owner's instructions, went out and walked left along the Loess Road, and met the policeman who wanted to collect the mountain tax.
Sanhua Empress specially transformed into a human form, wearing three-color clothes, very cute and beautiful, staring at the police with her big eyes, just to see if she would be charged money - if he was charged, she would say that she If you don't go, go back and find a place where there is no one, turn into a cat, and sneak away in a flash.
There are few places used to stop people that can stop cats.
However, the messenger is very kind-hearted, especially kind to Taoist people.
"I'm sorry, sir, the government has decided that a person going up the mountain has to pay a mountain tax of fifty cents. If you bring a horse or mule up the mountain, you have to pay fifty cents each." The messenger paused as he spoke, "But if Mr. If you have an ultimatum and you are acquainted with a Taoist priest in the Taoist temple in the back mountain, if you go to the mountain to visit friends, you can show the ultimatum and tell the name of the Taoist priest, and you will not have to pay the mountain tax."
"I don't know you."
"To be honest, I don't know him very well."
"I'm just here to climb the mountain." Song You declined his kindness.
"Then there's nothing we can do..."
At this time, the little girl turned her head to look at the Taoist, her eyes were black and white, and then she looked back at the policeman.
Song You then asked: "What about me, a young boy?"
"Tong'er..."
The policeman just looked at Sanhua Empress up and down casually, and then said: "It's so little, so why do you have to pay for it? I'm afraid you don't have much money to spend, sir!"
The little girl suddenly stared at him with wide eyes.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Song You chuckled, then groped in the quilt bag on his horse, took out a small bunch of copper coins, which itself was exactly one hundred copper coins, and handed it to the police officer.
The messenger collected the money and let them in. At the same time, he couldn't help but stare at their backs and muttered in his heart, this person is really rigid.
Empress Sanhua looked serious and had complicated moods.
I was a little glad that I didn't pay and saved a lot of money, but I was also angry at what the police said. But what makes the cat even more puzzled is that the horses have to collect money, and the majestic Sanhua Empress, such a big cat monster, doesn't take any money.
"Let's go."
Song You rubbed her head and walked up the mountain.
Venerable Mountain is one of the five famous mountains, and there are indeed a lot of people going up the mountain. They all choose to set off at this time, it is cool, and the Taoist and his party are full of people, all kinds of people.
However, tourists only gathered at the bottom of the mountain. After walking up the mountain for a while, the crowd became sparse.
Song You found the feeling of climbing Yunding Mountain.
It's just that Zunzhe Mountain is not as big as Yunding Mountain, nor is it as high as Yunding Mountain. When it comes to fame, it's not necessarily the case that one is stronger or the other is weaker. At least that was the case before Song You went to Yunding Mountain - although Yunding Mountain has always had people encountering immortals. Legend has it that Pingzhou itself has many legends about immortals and gods, but there are many legends about immortals in Zunzhe Mountain. Jingdao Lake under Yunding Mountain is picturesque, and Zunzhe Mountain itself is like a pillar of heaven. From a distance, it looks like a person standing on the top of the mountain. The dignified and polite old man is strange enough, not to mention that the Venerable Mountain is one of the five famous mountains, and it also has religious blessings. In terms of status, it is higher than Yunding Mountain.
Moreover, Zunzhe Mountain has another important advantage——
Normal people without any disease can go there.
It is too difficult to climb up Yunding Mountain.
Therefore, Venerable Mountain collects mountain taxes and is very popular.
Songyou's pace is still unhurried, which is average among the current tourists. He stops from time to time to look back at the mountain road and the climbing height behind him. From time to time he talks to Sanhua Empress, and from time to time he stops to look at the mountains. Somewhere, I don’t know what I’m thinking about.
It was only early summer at this time, and the ground fruits hadn’t come out yet, but many small red raspberries could already be seen on the vines on the roadside. Song You also picked them and tasted them. The sweetness and sourness depended on luck.
Before I knew it, I had climbed quite high.
At this time, many people began to fall behind Song You due to their reduced physical strength. Only a very small number of people with very good physical strength could continue to surpass Song You.
The Taoist's Taoist robe is somewhat conspicuous, and the maroon horse that is not restrained by the reins and saddle is also rare. Many people will look at him when they pass by, especially those who stop to rest. Most of them will chat with him while taking a rest.
The Taoist kept walking, but he responded with a few words.
Not long after, another young official came up beside them and looked at them sideways.
At this time, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"Excuse me……"
At the same time, there was a crunching sound.
Song You looked back and saw two bare-chested lifters carrying a bamboo chair. A potbellied man dressed as an official was sitting on it. The bamboo chair was bouncing up and down with every step he took. Song You This is where the creaking sound heard came from.
The mountain road is narrow and no more than two people can walk side by side.
Song You and another young official immediately stepped aside to let the two helpers pass by first.
The two middle-aged men were very thin and skinny, but they must have been people who often made a living in this mountain. They carried a fat official and walked faster than most people, wiping sweat with a sweat towel as they walked.
The official sat on a chair and wiped his sweat with a silk cloth.
"Thank you..."
"Creak, creak, creak..."
The foot lifters slowly walked away carrying the bamboo chair.
Song You withdrew his gaze, his expression calm.
At this time, the young official opposite turned his attention to him. He seemed to have finally found an opportunity to talk to him, and he saluted with his hands:
"Sir, be polite."
"It's polite."
"I'm Wei Yinhua, a native of Langzhou. What do you call me sir?"
"My surname is Song and my name is You, from Yizhou."
"Yizhou? That's far away."
"It's not close."
"Sir, are you going to the Venerable Mountain to offer incense, or are you going to the Taoist temple in the back mountain to visit friends?"
"Come to see the scenery."
"Mr. Haha, you are enjoying yourself." The young official said as he looked ahead. The leg lifters had already stepped up, and the creaking sounds gradually faded away. He couldn't help but smile, "At this time, I wouldn't have been there in the past." Officials who like to go out also come to Zunzhe Mountain to play, and these helpers can earn a lot of hard money."
"yes……"
Song You responded, but he was a little confused: "What do you mean by catching up at this time?"
"Huh?"
On the contrary, the young official was a little surprised and asked him, "Sir, don't you know?"
"Oh, I don't know something. I traveled all over the world with Tong'er. I just arrived in Yaozhou last month. I just arrived in Huangliang County last night. I stayed at the foot of the mountain for one night and came up the mountain this morning. But when I was at the foot of the mountain, I also I heard from the innkeeper that we came at the right time, but at that time I thought it was because the weather had been good recently and it was cool in the mountains." Song You paused for a moment, "But I heard the same thing from Shi Shi, but it doesn't seem to be the case at all?"
"Ha ha……"
The young official couldn't help laughing when he heard this, and clapped his hands and said: "The weather has been good recently, and the climate is good. It's hot at the foot of the mountain and cool in the mountain. But so many people come here because it's half April."
"April and a half?"
"Sir, you have indeed never heard of it."
"If you are willing to say something..."
"Hi! Climbing mountains alone is boring. It would be great to have a few words with a Taoist master like Mr. to relieve boredom and relieve fatigue!" The young official looked at Song You and then turned his gaze away from him. The bay-red horse behind him and the girl who looked up at him with her eyes wide open glanced at him and asked, "Sir, as an expert in Taoism, have you ever heard of the legend of the immortals ascending to heaven?"
"I've heard something about it."
"That's it." The young official named Wei paused, "This legend has to start a hundred years ago..."
"oh?"
Song You also showed some interest.
This is a story that I have never heard before arriving in Huangliang County, or even when I asked for directions in Huangliang County, or even at the foot of the mountain.
"A hundred years ago, the Venerable Mountain was a famous mountain. It was said that people on earth would become immortals after death. The first time they went to the Heavenly Palace to report, they had to go up from the Venerable Mountain. But at that time, there were not many people climbing it. . A hundred years ago, a man came to climb the mountain. His surname seemed to be Li, so he called him Mr. Li. On the way to the mountain, Mr. Li met an old man with a kind face and a good talker. He called himself Ai. Mr. Li was also a good talker. Seeing no one else, he and Aigong traveled together hand in hand. They talked happily along the way, took care of each other, and developed deep feelings for each other."
The young official paused as he spoke:
"When we reached the top of the mountain, we rested for a while and when we were about to go down, Ai Gong saluted to Li Gong and said that he did not come to the Venerable Mountain to climb and play, but to take up his post in the Tiangong.
"Because he is from Fengzhou and was virtuous during his lifetime, he can become an immortal after death and keep the warehouse for the Heavenly Palace. When people from several southern states become immortals and go to the Heavenly Palace for the first time, they have to go up Mount Zunzhen every year. April and a half and October and a half. Thinking that I was destined to be with him and that we could talk about anything along the way, I couldn't bear to hide it from him, so I told him the truth. After saying goodbye to him, I asked him not to tell others casually. From the top of the Venerable Mountain, I suddenly flew into the sky.
"Later, Mr. Li came back and asked people to go to Fengzhou to inquire. Sure enough, such a virtuous man died, and soon his name was in the Taoist temple's sacred book. Everything was as he said."
Song You laughed after hearing this and said:
"It appears he didn't keep his word."
"Maybe it was spread accidentally."
"It's quite a fate."
"Isn't that right?" said the young official. "After this story spread, more and more people climbed the Venerable Mountain. People often rushed to climb the mountain during these two hours. I heard that later there were also people climbing the mountain. I met the gods who went to heaven to take up their posts. Some of them could talk to them, some could make friends with them, and some could only see half-hidden or half-revealed shadows or appeared and disappeared from time to time. There were even some who were estimated to be able to do so in the first place. The magic does not walk, but flies from the sky, and is seen by others, but it is not known whether it is true or false."
"magic."
"So many of the people who come to climb the Venerable Mountain during this period want to try their luck and see if they can meet the gods who go to heaven to take office on the way and get the blessings of the gods." The young official said while looking at Song. You's expression showed confusion.
"Are you here to meet the gods by chance?" Song You asked him.
"I have loved looking for mountains and rivers all my life, and I have long wanted to come to the Venerable Mountain." The young official said, "But in addition to immortality, immortals have great magical powers. I heard that they are also virtuous people. If you can meet an immortal by chance, Walking with him, even if there is no immortal energy or blessing, it will still be a blessing."
"The first step makes sense."
"I wonder where Sir is going?" the young official asked bluntly.
"You won't doubt that I'm a god, right?"
"Sir, your manners and temperament are quite extraordinary. The horses don't need reins and don't run around. The children are as beautiful as fairy children, and their bodies are spotless." The young official bowed his hands to him and said respectfully, "Even if you are not a fairy, , he must be a rare spiritual master in the world."
These words sounded really familiar.
It seems that in this era, mortals in the world have the same idea of looking for gods.
Maybe the world is so boring, and going to the mountains to find gods is a good pastime, so that even many literati are not exempt from this.
"Ha ha……"
Song You was in a cheerful mood, and he laughed twice, and said to him: "I am just a Taoist with limited practice. If you want to find a god, you don't have to come to me... But well, I have been walking all the way. I saw several old men who looked like gods who had gone to heaven to take up their posts. Just like the one at the back."
The Taoist smiled and looked behind him.
"oh?"
The young official followed his gaze and saw an old man in a Chinese robe, walking alone from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain.
This old man has white hair and a childlike face, a rosy face, a kind expression, and a noble temperament. He is obviously dressed in extraordinary clothes, but he has no servants. His hair is gray, and he is walking on the mountain road, but he does not blush or breathe -
Even if the Taoist didn't say anything, when he turned around and saw him, he would probably think that this was a god who was about to take office.
However, he met several such old men along the way.
(End of chapter)
