After spending the Mid-Autumn Festival in the grotto, Li Xiuyuan was ready to leave.
Seeing Huiming's reluctant look, he couldn't help but comfort him: "Our cultivation path is just one person's. No one can accompany you to the end."
"Sanzang has brought back many scriptures. Next spring, if you send a few monks to Chang'an to collect scriptures from Sanzang's temple, it will be of great benefit to the monks in the cave."
When Huiming heard this, he suddenly realized that Tripitaka had retrieved the scripture from Tianzhu.
Then you can also send people to Chang'an to find Tripitaka to study and retrieve the scriptures.
Waving his hand, Li Xiuyuan said goodbye to Huiming and the grotto.
Standing on the cliff, Huiming looked at Li Xiuyuan who was slowly going down the mountain and couldn't help but ask: "Senior, are you going back to Chang'an?"
"I'm going to go shopping in the East China Sea..."
From a distance, Li Xiuyuan replied, his heart had flown to the small fishing village in the Great Qin era, and he was going to Penglai Island to see those guys who left back then.
Huiming was startled when he heard this and thought to himself that you are going to travel around the Tang Dynasty.
Looking at the retreating figure, Huiming decided to go to the grotto where Li Xiuyuan had been in retreat for more than ten years. He also wanted to read the scriptures on the stone wall.
…
After being a real shepherd for a time and practicing Buddhism in a grotto for more than ten years, Li Xiuyuan planned to become a real wanderer.
Go alone and see the places you visited with Xu Fu and Zhao Meng.
It was just after the Mid-Autumn Festival when he left the grotto, and it was already past the Beginning of Winter when he arrived at the shore of the East China Sea alone.
In such a season, you can enjoy the snowy scenery of the mountain in a hut in Chang'an Snow Mountain, brew a pot of spiritual tea, or warm a pot of spiritual wine.
It is still late autumn on the coast of the East China Sea.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar fishing village in front of him, Li Xiuyuan did not disturb the owner here.
Instead, he walked all the way to the beach. He wanted to find a boat to go out to sea to see if Qingyu and others followed the old Taoist priest to Penglai to practice.
There were two not very big ships docked at the beach. Li Xiuyuan stepped forward and asked if they could take him to the island.
Unexpectedly, both the waiter and the shopkeeper shook their heads when they heard this. They didn't say the reason, but they just didn't want to send him there.
Some people even persuaded him to leave the fishing village because the sea has been uneasy in recent years.
Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but frown after hearing this.
Back then, he told the old Taoist priest, Qingyu and others that the first thing they should do when they came to Penglai was to clean up the bandits on the island and do some good deeds for the nearby fishing villages.
Unexpectedly, how long has passed?
Even the guys in the fishing village are unwilling to go to Penglai. It seems that there must be some accident there.
After two hours, almost noon, he finally saw a large ship passing by. Li Xiuyuan explained the situation and asked to be taken out to sea.
Looking at the gold coins in Li Xiuyuan's hand, the shopkeeper on the ship nodded.
But what Li Xiuyuan didn't expect was that when the big ship approached Penglai Island, the shopkeeper asked the clerk to let a small boat fall into the sea.
He held hands with Li Xiuyuan and said, "It's not that we don't keep our word, we don't dare to go to that island, so I gave this boat to you sir."
Li Xiuyuan looked at the island not far away and took a deep breath.
He replied quietly: "That's right, thank you very much."
After speaking, he slowly walked along the cable to the boat floating in the sea. After he jumped on the boat, he said to the shopkeeper on the boat: "If there are bandits here, I will kill them for you."
After saying that, he paddled the wooden oar, crossed the heavy waves, and headed towards the coast.
The waiter looked at the boat that was gradually disappearing in the wind and waves, and asked: "Shopkeeper, is this guy really going to find trouble with those guys?"
The shopkeeper shook his head and smiled bitterly: "When I pass by this place next time, why don't I go and inquire about it and find out?"
The big ship left quickly, not wanting to stay here for a moment longer for fear of getting into trouble.
Li Xiuyuan's clothes on the boat were blown by the sea breeze, and the boat was floating up and down in the wind and waves, like a daunting painting.
At this moment, Li Xiuyuan felt like a fish swimming towards the shore of the ocean.
Back then, he was in trouble on the South China Sea of Shenlong Continent and had not yet tasted the feeling of rowing in the sea. Until this moment, he felt the feeling of rowing in the sea of suffering.
He wants to see Qingyu and others, or the bandits on the mountain, as soon as possible.
He wants to figure out what has happened here over the years? Have the old Taoist priests and others come here?
After struggling all the way forward and fighting the rapids in front of me, I finally pulled the boat to the shore.
He wanted to keep the boat and think about his way back.
Looking at the rocks where Xu Fu, Zhao Meng and others fought against the sea bandits, they have been submerged, and half of them have disappeared into the vast sea.
He dragged the boat to the edge of the grove, took out the water bottle and took a sip.
He was going to go up the mountain to see what terrible things happened here, which would make the guys in the seaside fishing village change their minds.
Even more terrifying than the bandits of the past.
At least, the clerk back then would still complain to him about how rampant the bandits were on the island, but the current shopkeeper didn't even want to say that.
In a daze, Li Xiuyuan felt a bad feeling in his heart.
After going around a beach, this was where Zhao Meng fought with the bandits. Going further, it was the way up the mountain.
Before he could climb up the stairs, "Whoosh!" Several monks came forward.
"What kind of savages dare to break into Penglai Immortal Island without permission? They are seeking death!"
Looking around, he saw a young monk in the Golden Core Realm scolding him while rushing toward him. Behind him were two men and two women.
Li Xiuyuan saw through the cultivation levels of the five people at a glance, and they were all in the Golden Core realm.
Taking a breath, Li Xiuyuan asked coldly: "When did bandits stay here again?"
"Nonsense, this is Penglai Immortal Island, where did the bandits come from!"
At this time, a woman in her twenties wearing a red dress looked at Li Xiuyuan and yelled: "I think you are the bandit, senior brother, catch him."
"That's right, senior brother said that all those whose origins are unknown will be sent to the quarry."
Another woman looked at Li Xiuyuan and scolded: "Since you dare to go to Penglai Island, just follow us obediently, otherwise..."
Looking at this woman in a tight-fitting arrow suit, Li Xiuyuan shook his head gently.
Just when he was about to get angry, the voice of the old Taoist priest came from Shenhai: "Disciple, you have already been a shepherd, why don't you do some hard work again?"
"Master..." Li Xiuyuan couldn't help shouting.
"When you come to Penglai Immortal Island, it's useless even if you call the master for help. Just follow me."
The young monk dressed in black said viciously: "If you don't obey, your life will be to feed the fishes. Come with us."
Several male and female monks escorted Li Xiuyuan who had just landed on the island, just like the bandits at the foot of Luoxia Mountain who captured the young Taoist priest who had just come down the mountain.
Just like a fat sheep that wants to be sold at a good price, it goes all the way up the mountain.
The old Taoist priest in the sea of gods continued: "If nothing happens, just be a sheep...otherwise how can you see clearly the dark and evil side of the world."
"What happened?" Li Xiuyuan asked silently in his heart.
"Haha, you were just herding sheep and went crazy in the desert for several years... By the way, the cause and effect on this island is related to Xiao Hei, and it is also related to you... Don't worry, take your time and take a look."
The old Taoist priest smiled faintly: "Don't you like to pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger? Anyway, you don't have any spiritual power, so just think of it as practicing Taoism under the abyss."
Li Xiuyuan was shocked when he heard this. Could it be that something went wrong when Qingyu and the old Taoist priest came here?
The old Taoist priest continued: "You have been sitting in that grotto for more than ten years, thinking about the principles of the Buddhist scriptures. It is better to be a lamb on this island and be slaughtered by others."
Nodding gently, Li Xiuyuan looked at several young men and women and said, "When you encounter trouble when you go out, you naturally want to think that your master can come to save your life."
A young man laughed when he heard this.
He laughed loudly and said: "Scream as hard as you can and see if you break your throat and someone will come to save you."
Li Xiuyuan didn't bother to pay attention to him, but walked up the mountain silently.
He wanted to see what the masters and apprentices who left the imperial city had done to this place.
Unexpectedly, before reaching the middle of the mountain, several young men and women escorted him around to the other side of the island. This walk lasted half an hour.
Until he came to the other side of the island, a place he had never been to last time.
At a quarry, he was angered by the scene before him.
"Work hard here, and you may be able to go home next year!"
The man in black who had the best chance of talking to him pushed him and shouted: "Wang Dali, I'll find you a free coolie. Keep an eye on him."
"Here comes someone! He's a nice guy. I wonder if he's very strong?"
When Li Xiuyuan was confused, a tall, middle-aged man with a beard came over with two men.
He waved to several young men and women, looked at Li Xiuyuan and said, "Come and work under me. You have to work hard. Don't make me angry!"
Li Xiuyuan sighed: "What do you want?"
"It's not that good. I see, those people are just like you. They were awesome when they came here. Now they are as good as sheep. Let's go..."
Wang Dali pulled Li Xiuyuan, who looked angry, towards the center of the quarry.
"Old man Zhang, I have found a helper for you. Come and get him quickly. If he runs away, I will cut off your hands!"
Wang Dali was not afraid of Li Xiuyuan running away at all. Firstly, there was sea on all sides and there were no boats.
Secondly, the method he learned from someone is to sit down together and punish all the workers as long as someone dares to run away.
Just when Li Xiuyuan was about to ask the old Taoist priest, a thin old man with gray hair and a vicissitudes of life walked over.
He looked Li Xiuyuan up and down and shook his head: "My child, why did you come to this island?"
…
There are no iron chains locking hands and feet as Li Xiuyuan imagined. People in the quarry here are free, but no one has a smile on their face.
Old man Zhang threw him a pair of tools, looked at Wang Dali who was walking away and said, "Don't be afraid, we have been here for a whole year, they just want to find free craftsmen to help them do things."
Li Xiuyuan asked in confusion: "What are they going to do? Why have they arrested so many people?"
"Last year, we first built a new palace. This year, we said we were going to build a twenty-foot-tall statue for the leader... My child, work hard, or else they will see you and won't feed you."
“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”
Amidst the sound of hammer hammering, Li Xiuyuan followed the old man to work and whispered.
Fortunately, there are no secrets here. The old man told Li Xiuyuan everything he knew.
It wasn't until the sun went down and the workers finished their work that Li Xiuyuan realized that everyone lived in a huge cave.
With the experience of cultivating Buddhism under the abyss, these ways of survival are just a piece of cake for him now, and they are nothing at all.
However, thinking of what his master said, he still disguised himself.
"Senior, where is your home?" After finishing his work, Li Xiuyuan followed the old man and walked into the cave.
Old Man Zhang shook his head and replied: "My home is on the edge of the East China Sea, in a small fishing village called Guangcun."
When Li Xiuyuan heard this, he fell silent.
The old man looked at him and asked: "Young man, what is your name and where is your home?"
Li Xiuyuan took a breath and replied: "My name is Wu Mu, from the far western region..."
