Outside Jianzhou City, You Ziji was walking alone among the mountains and forests.
When he left the city, he thought he would be able to find Xuanming Road within one or twenty miles at most, but he didn't know that he had left the door in the morning and walked until the afternoon, but he still couldn't find it.
You Ziji was anxious and acted quickly. He had traveled more than forty miles in such a long time. Perhaps Xuanming Road was in a ravine, but he kept taking the main road, so he missed it.
So You Ziji went back again, but he did not follow the original path, but went over the mountains and ridges, only going to the wilderness. I went on like this until night, and still didn't see any Taoist priests or buildings.
"Is it possible that Xuanmingdao is in the cave?"
You Ziji really couldn't figure it out. It was getting late, but the moonlight was bright, so he didn't delay his journey. He then walked back to the road and wanted to enter the city.
One afternoon, he walked who knows how far and wandered in the mountains and forests for how long. When he returned to the main road, he could see Jianzhou City directly.
"It turns out I walked back. Fortunately, there is no curfew in Jianzhou City, otherwise I would be hungry tonight."
You Ziji saved money along the way and still had some scattered silver on hand, enough to find an inn to stay in and order some food.
The gates of Jianzhou City are not closed at night. In addition to the extremely strong defense force in the city, it is also to facilitate the entry and exit of monks from various sects.
Some dignitaries also have their own nightlife, but ordinary people have already gone to bed and will not stay up late.
This inn is just a small shop, so there is no need to do late-night business. Seeing that You Ziji was still young, the shopkeeper felt affection for him, so he personally cooked a portion of green vegetables and some leftover rice for You Ziji to eat.
"Little baby, it looks like you are trying to make it alone in the world. It's really not easy."
"It's okay, but old shopkeeper, you are so old, why don't you find a waiter to help you."
"Hahaha, of course I hired a helper, but I haven't been able to sleep well at night in the past few days. I have nothing to do, so I am here to look after the store. If it were normal, I would have rested long ago."
After hearing this, You Ziji took a closer look at the face of the old shopkeeper. He learned some basic medical skills from Hao Laodao, so he could still be a local doctor.
The old shopkeeper has a ruddy complexion and a strong body. There is nothing wrong with his appearance except for some dark circles under his eyes.
He smiled and said: "What do you think of me when you stare at this old man? Maybe you also have some medical skills."
Seeing that the old shopkeeper seemed to be interested, You Ziji was not polite and said directly: "The boy is indeed proficient in medical skills. Old shopkeeper, if you have time, can you let me try it."
The old shopkeeper has also seen the market and knows that some people who are in the business can't just look at their appearance, they may have real abilities. Of course, he doesn't think You Ziji can really solve the problem, he just wants to have some fun during the long night.
He held his wrist forward and said, "Then try it."
You Ziji pretended to feel his pulse, and the old shopkeeper felt a wave of heat from his wrist to his heart a few times, then retreated, thinking to himself: "He actually has some skills."
"Don't worry, old shopkeeper. I think you're fine. You're just a little anxious. Listen to me and I'll make sure you sleep soundly from tonight on."
The old shopkeeper was overjoyed and said, "That's great."
After that, he turned around and walked towards the counter.
You Ziji quickly stopped him.
The old shopkeeper was puzzled and said: "I am old and have a bad memory. Wait until I get the paper and pen."
You Ziji took out something from his arms and said with a smile: "Old shopkeeper, you don't have to go to such trouble, I have ready-made medicine here."
The old shopkeeper thought it was a "cure for all diseases" medicine carried by footmen. He was about to refuse when he took a closer look and saw it was a piece of talisman paper. "Don't tease me, little one. What disease can this piece of yellow paper cure?" , find a wandering Taoist priest and you can draw a few pictures at will."
"Old shopkeeper, don't underestimate this peace charm. For ordinary people, it is more than enough to ward off evil spirits and avoid evil, calm the mind and cultivate consciousness. It can just cure your illness."
The old shopkeeper showed a clear expression, "Do you still want me to waive your room fee? I've seen this trick of yours too many times, and I won't fall for your kid's deception."
"The old shopkeeper misunderstood, I'm not here for nothing." You Ziji quickly explained: "You can use my talisman first. If it works, keep it. If it doesn't work, just throw it away. I won't ask you for money. .”
You Ziji seemed to feel that this was not enough to win people's trust. Seeing that the flame in the stove pit had not been extinguished, he stretched out his palm to summon a wisp of flame, then turned into a fire dragon, spiraled upward, and turned into sparks all over the sky and fell to the ground.
The old shopkeeper was shocked and said, "I am blind, it turns out that you are a monk!"
"How about it? You can trust me now. You won't suffer any loss if you take this talisman back and try it."
Seeing that the old shopkeeper was still doubtful about his words, You Ziji said nothing more and continued eating.
…
Early the next morning, You Ziji was stopped by the waiter before he even left the inn.
"This guest, you cannot leave."
"Why, I'm not a defaulter, let's go and pay the bill right now."
You Ziji thought that as the old shopkeeper, he had determined that he was a charlatan and wanted someone to keep an eye on him to prevent him from defaulting on his debt.
Unexpectedly, the waiter said: "My guest has misunderstood. Our shopkeeper specially asked me to stay here and notify him when you wake up. The shopkeeper wants to thank you in person, not to cause trouble for you."
You Ziji didn't have time to talk nonsense with others, he still wanted to find Xuan Mingdao.
"I have something urgent to do. It won't be too late for the old shopkeeper to thank me next time."
You Ziji left the waiter and was about to go out immediately, but the old shopkeeper had already heard the news and came over.
The old shopkeeper stepped forward and took You Ziji's hand, "Thank you very much for the immortal talisman given by the Immortal. My insomnia last night is indeed gone."
"It's okay if nothing happens. The old shopkeeper remembers to keep the talisman close to his body. I still have things to do. We'll talk about it when we have the opportunity."
You Ziji was light and agile, and was about to leave after getting rid of the two people's obstruction.
"I think the Immortal is young, but he wants to become a disciple of Xuan Ming Dao."
You Ziji paused, turned around and said, "How does the old shopkeeper know?"
"Nine out of ten young monks who come to Jianzhou City want to join the Xuan Ming Dao."
You Ziji's eyes lit up, "Does the old shopkeeper know where Xuanming Road is?"
The old shopkeeper said: "I want to tell the Immortal about this exactly. Xuan Ming Dao never accepts disciples. All the monks who came in the past have returned with martial arts. The Immortal should choose another place and don't waste time."
You Ziji didn't quite believe it, "If Xuan Ming Dao doesn't accept disciples, how will it be passed down? I'm going to try it. The old shopkeeper better not to dissuade me."
Seeing that he had made up his mind to go, the old shopkeeper continued: "Actually, the Xuan Ming Dao is nearby, but it can't be seen or touched. It's better for the Immortal to stop trying."
You Ziji was very surprised. Xuanmingdao was a sect. How could it not be seen or touched?
"What does the old shopkeeper mean by this?"
"I don't know, I just heard it from those monks who gave up."
You Ziji was confused and had no choice but to leave the place.
Along the way, You Ziji kept thinking about what the old shopkeeper said. Could it be that the outside world of Xuanming Road was shrouded in illusion, so there was no clue at all.
As a result, You Ziji slowed down his walking speed and used the five consciousness techniques to the extreme, hoping to find loopholes in the illusion.
As I walked, I suddenly thought about how Chang Yunbai and other Xuanming Dao disciples found the entrance every time they went home. If their realm was like that of Wandering Ziji, wouldn't they be unable to return to the mountain gate?
You Ziji had an idea and took out the jade certificate that Chang Yunbai lent him and shook it, but there was no change.
He thought for a while and injected his true energy into the jade tablet, but found that the jade tablet was very resistant. It seemed that only Chang Yunbai's true energy could activate it.
You Ziji had a grimace on his face. This place was the same as yesterday. He had been out of the city for more than forty miles and had no choice but to return.
This time, he kept holding the jade card in his hand, hoping for magical changes.
However, the road back was unfamiliar for some reason. He should have walked through it, but he didn't have much impression.
There are many rocks here, and the peaks are steep and almost vertical. Such a strange sight should be deeply remembered.
"Could it be that you have already entered the Xuan Ming Dao?"
Ridiculous thoughts appeared in You Ziji's mind.
He speeded up and moved forward, passing through the stone forest. Suddenly he heard the sound of water rushing in front of him. He stopped and looked in the direction of the sound of water. When we came to a cliff, there happened to be a waterfall on the opposite side, and under the cliff was a clear river. This was a sight we had never seen before in the two previous trips.
After passing the waterfall, the mountain crevices are towering and towering into the clouds, making people yearn for it.
You Ziji was overjoyed and determined that there was a high probability that Xuan Ming Dao was located there. So he used the wind blowing technique, and the wind blew up across the valley. He walked on the wind, came to the other side, and ran in that direction excitedly.
On the way, they passed a bamboo forest. You Ziji didn't pay attention to it and went straight across it. However, the bamboo forest seemed to have no end. After running for a long time, there was still a bamboo forest beside him. You Ziji paid attention and found that the bamboo looked familiar. It was the bamboo he had seen earlier. That tree.
You Ziji was a little surprised when he suddenly heard the sound of playing chess in the bamboo forest, so he walked straight over.
But he saw two old men with gray hair and childlike faces, one was dressed in white and the other was dressed in black, but both of them had Five Elements and Eight Diagrams embroidered on their clothes.
The two of them focused on playing chess and did not raise their eyes to look at You Ziji, but what they said was all related to You Ziji.
"This little kid is so bold."
"If others had been frightened by my bamboo forest formation, their legs would weaken."
"The qualifications are also very good. He is already at the foundation-building level at a young age, and his foundation is solid. It proves that he has practiced hard and has a very calm mind."
"But I don't know how he got in. There is a large array set up outside the mountain, which can lead passers-by to other places, and then affect their thinking, forming a barrier to knowledge and vision. Few people in a hundred years can disturb us."
"What an interesting guy. Let me see his background."
The man in white frowned. He was not in the mood to play chess. He turned into a wisp of fresh air, rolled towards You Ziji, and transformed into his true body again. His palm had already grabbed You Ziji's wrist, revealing the jade certificate in it.
"It's the jade token belonging to Master Chang's nephew. What happened to him?!"
