After this conversation, Meng Qingyao no longer persisted in the issue of the Mohists' Guild Rules and Orders, and they chatted for a while. Seeing that the night was getting dark, they broke up and went back to Long Erniang's Inn to rest.
Early the next morning, the three grim-faced Taoist priests came to the carpenter's shop to say goodbye to Meng Qingyao. Meng Qingyao reluctantly sent the three to the city gate. During this period, he complained from time to time that the three of them had too tight schedules. The trip to the north only lasted a few days, and the brothers didn't even have a chance to sit down and chat.
The Taoist priest with a grimace smiled and said: "The green mountains are stacked on top of each other, and the rivers and lakes are far away. They are not as lulling a person to sleep as a solitary lamp. Your place here can be regarded as the home of the brothers. We are running around, but we will come back eventually." After saying this, they cherished each other for a few words, and then took advantage of the opportunity. As the morning light first appeared, we left Tianshui City again.
The three of them did not choose to take a detour when going south this time. Instead, they planned to go directly eastward along the Weishui River, and then enter the Liu Song Dynasty at Weixing County. This arrangement was because time did not allow for a detour, and secondly, the power changes between the Liu Song Dynasty and the Northern Wei Dynasty occurred in recent years. Frequently, each emperor was busy consolidating his imperial power and had no time to start a war. The border between the two countries was much more stable than imagined, and it was actually not troublesome to walk.
Seven days later, the three Taoist priests with grim faces appeared at the border of Xiangyang of Liu Song Dynasty. They did not choose to enter the city along the way, but when passing by Xiangyang County, they deliberately changed their clothes and went to the city gate to explore. Sure enough, there were still ghost faces on the notice on the city wall. The bounty on the portrait of Taoist priest and Luo Laoqi has reached 400 taels of silver per person.
Luo Laoqi, wearing a fake beard and a hat, smiled and said, "This is a big investment. It's been almost a month, and the little guy still holds a grudge."
"She was not only the little thing's sister, she was also a concubine. She would not be angry if she was killed." The grim-faced Taoist priest also covered his face with a cloak and continued: "It seems that the sea arrest documents have been plastered all over the Song Dynasty. We have to be more careful when we move here in the future, it’s not just the people in the Mushroom Gate who want to kill you and me.”
After leaving Xiangyang City, the three of them went straight to Woyungang, thirty miles south of the city. Zhang Tianshi of Qingyun Temple once said: There is a mountain range in the south of Xiangyang City, which is called "Woyungang" because it is shrouded in clouds and fog all year round. , and there is a stream full of dianthus flowers in Woyungang, called "Dianthus Stream", where Taoist Banshan's Tianji Temple was built.
Woyungang covers a very large area, with four or five peaks alone. It is not easy to find the Shizhu Stream. Fortunately, there is a small village with more than ten households at the foot of the mountain. Three Taoist priests with grim faces went into the village and inquired about the location of the Shizhu Stream. , then the villager pointed to the two deepest peaks and said: "It's in that ravine. The road is not easy to walk, and even those with fast feet will have to walk for two hours."
The Taoist priest with a grimace looked at the sun in the west. It was late now, and the three of them were not familiar with the road. Even if they could walk in two hours, it would be dark by then. It was against the rules to ask for help and come to the door after dark, so the Taoist priest with a grimace planned to Looking for a place to stay for one night, and waiting to set off again tomorrow morning, he asked the villagers: "Uncle, is there a place to stay in our village? We are medicine merchants in Xiangyang. We originally planned to go to Shizhu Stream to collect some medicinal materials, but the road is so It is inconvenient to leave today. If there is a place to stay in the village, we can spend some money to stay for one night."
Upon hearing this, the villagers shook their heads: "There are often gangsters around here. Our village never dares to keep people overnight. If you don't have a place to live, you can go back to Xiangyang first."
"Old man, do you mean we are bandits?" Luo Laoqi's eyes widened when he heard this and he was about to take action.
The Taoist priest with a grimace hurriedly stretched out his hand to stop him, and said with a smile: "What I said is true. Banditry is related to the safety of the whole village, so we must be on guard. In this case, we will not bother you. We will return to Xiangyang and come back tomorrow."
After finishing speaking, the Taoist priest with a grimace pulled Luo Laoqi and He Siniang to say goodbye to the old man. After turning around the village, Luo Laoqi said: "Taoist priest, why are you stopping the Sa family? Let the Sa family beat him up. Do you think he still dares not to stay?" Let’s spend the night, what should we do now, do we really want to return to Xiangyang City?”
"Then Xiangyang City allows you to enter. How dare you enter? Don't always yell and kill. People are afraid of bandits. What's the difference between you and bandits? You are not afraid of sleeping if you are forced to stay overnight. I'll kill you when it's cooked."
"Then where are we going now?"
"We can only go into the mountains while the sun is shining. Let's hurry up. If we don't get there before sunset, we will spend the night in the mountains and forests."
The three of them did not plan to stay, so they entered the mountain directly following the path pointed by the old man. The terrain of Woyungang was complex, with deep forests and dangerous slopes in the mountain. There was only a rugged path halfway up the mountain, but this only path had been used by people for many years. If you step on it, the moisture in the forest will become muddy and difficult to walk. However, the entire mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. It can be said that this road is not easy to walk. When the three of them walked for a while, they had to stop and pat the soil. The soles of the shoes were made of mud, and within half an hour of entering the mountain, they had already stopped four or five times.
Luo Laoqi rubbed the soles of his shoes while holding on to the tree trunk, and said irritably: "This mountain seems like someone is always dragging Sa's family under the ground. It's not good for those damn demons to live in a place where such birds don't poop. "
The grim-faced Taoist priest also stopped to take a breath and said: "Taoism pays attention to purity. Nine of the ten Taoist temples are built in the mountains. Like the Qingyang Temple in Chengdu, it looks unusual if it stands in the middle of a busy city... But this place is really It’s damn hard to leave. If we keep going like this, we won’t be able to reach Shizhu Stream even if the sun goes down.”
"How about we find a place to cuddle up..."
"Give me a hug and continue on your way. It's too humid here. If you sleep all night, your waist will be broken the next day."
"Yes, let's go quickly, Lao Qi. The terrain will be higher as we go forward, so it might be easier to leave." He Siniang also said from behind.
"Come on, let's go! It's not like the little daughter-in-law of the Sa family is getting into a sedan chair, this time I'll do it all at once for you to see."
It was rare for Luo Laoqi to regain his strength, and he continued to move forward without resting. The Taoist priest with a grimace and He Siniang also hurried on with him. I don't know how long they walked, but there was a faint sound of water in the dense forest ahead. After passing the woods, my eyes suddenly opened up, and I saw a clear stream flowing down from the dangerous cliff into a pool at the foot of the cliff. Around the pool, there were crimson dianthus flowers blooming in clusters like spring in the forest. And deep in the dianthus flowers, there is a stone step up the steep cliff, leading to a mountain gate dozens of floors above. Behind the mountain gate is the destination of the three people's trip - Tianji Temple.
The three of them were exhausted after traveling all afternoon, but when they saw the scenery in front of them, the contrast between the dark forest and the bright flowers instantly made people feel happy. Luo Laoqi couldn't help but say: " The Sa family thought they were hiding in a poor ravine, but unexpectedly they picked a good place."
"Yes, this place is simply too beautiful. I would rather let me live here for the rest of my life."
"Oh, what is beautiful scenery? It's okay to just take a look once in a while. If you live here, it will be boring within a month. Now that you are there, don't be busy sighing. Follow Pindao and knock on the mountain gate to see if anyone is there. "
The Taoist priest with a grimace poured cold water on his face and turned around to walk up the stone steps. Tianji Temple was built halfway up the mountain. It was not large in scale. From a distance, you could only enter the main hall in two directions. There were two courtyards surrounded by side halls, and the mountain gate opened in front. Southeast corner of the courtyard.
The three of them came to the door. The grim-faced Taoist priest picked up the door knocker and knocked. After a while, the door was opened from the inside, and then an old face was revealed.
"who are you?"
The Taoist priest with a grimace saw the old man wearing a turban and a blue robe. He couldn't tell his identity because he was wearing regular clothes, but he looked serious and majestic. He was definitely not a gatekeeper, so he said respectfully: "This poor Taoist is a dragon and a tiger." Disciples of Master Shan Zhang come to ask for help when they have special problems."
"Zhenren Zhang of Longhu Mountain? What kind of problems can Master Zhang's disciples ask me for help? The three of you smell like earth. I'm afraid you're not here for Taoist matters?" Even though the old man said this, he still opened the door to let him in. Give way.
"Senior, you have good eyesight." The grim-faced Taoist priest bowed in return and entered the temple with Luo Laoqi and He Siniang one after another. The old man closed the door and waved everyone into a wing on the west side of the front yard, where there was an Eight Immortals table. , there are six or seven empty chairs surrounding it. It seems that this room is usually a place for discussion.
The old man asked everyone to sit down, filled the teapot on the table with water and put it on the charcoal stove, and then said: "There are recent rumors in the world that a group of rogues (loose thieves) ordered a large tomb. I guessed the appearance of those three people. , are you talking about it?"
"Senior, you actually know about this? Since this is the case, I won't hide it from you. That tomb was indeed fallen by the three of us."
"So my disciples' trip is going to be in vain. Not only have you succeeded, but you have also brought some 'things' back. Tell me, do you want me to help identify some pills?"
"Senior is really amazing! The three poor people didn't say anything, but you have already guessed everything."
"I can still carry a few kilograms and a few ounces of our mountains. This is the only thing that comes to your door every time. However, I have to make it clear to you about the rules of our sect. No matter what kind of elixir is appraised, the reward will be You just have to leave half of it.”
"What if there is only one pill?" the Taoist priest with a grimace asked.
"Then cut it in half with a knife."
"What if it's half!" Luo Laoqi was furious when he heard this. He Siniang quickly pinched his thigh under the table and said with a smile: "Each faction has its own rules for doing things, we are here to ask for help. Naturally, I will act according to the rules of my seniors.”
"Then let's get straight to the point. Take out the elixir and show it to me."
He Siniang looked at the grim-faced Taoist priest after hearing this, and the latter said: "But the juniors still don't know your name, senior... If you say something wrong, don't mess up the seniority..."
"Why, are you still worried that I don't have enough qualifications? Have you ever heard of Master Xuanyun of Tianji Guan?"
"Are you Master Xuanyun?! You must be a master-level figure. The younger generation will definitely not dare to question your seniority. Come on, Fourth Mother, take out the elixir and show it to Master Xuanyun."
