In late autumn, the air is cold, the leaves of the trees are all falling off, the valleys are windy, and the clothes are stained with frost and dew.
On the official road next to the valley, Qi Jingzhi sat astride Bannu's back, eyes closed in concentration, eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a flush appearing on his face from time to time.
His breathing was deep and faint, and the energy in his body fluctuated with it. There was a vague and mysterious rhythm that could actually cause the cold water vapor in the nearby valley to gather, forming a knot on his eyebrows and hair. A thin layer of white frost.
A black divine horse with no mottled colors was half a horse behind Bannu, following step by step. Just looking at its cautious appearance, one could tell that it had no guts to keep pace with the black and white tiger-striped beast.
Lishan Guangye rode on Liju's back, leaning his ears hard, listening carefully to the wonderful sounds of heaven and earth that played with the wind and rain, shaking his head and head, as if he had some enlightenment.
Both of them were silent, and Bannu's tiger claws fell to the ground silently. Only the clatter of horse hooves echoed between the official road and the valley.
After an unknown period of time, the mysterious Taoist sound emitted by Qi Jingzhi gradually became inaudible, and the surging Qi around him also calmed down.
Lishan Guangye came back to his senses quickly, and after thinking about it quietly for a moment, he suddenly slapped his thigh and said angrily: "Brother, I look down on people. Although my surname is Lishan, I am a warrior in the Rongbu, but there is Jiang in my clan." How can it be possible that the Tongyu family has inherited part of the astronomy and calendar knowledge and does not know the music?"
As soon as the words fell, Qi Jingzhi slowly opened his eyes, and then exhaled a breath full of scorching heat.
The white frost on his eyebrows and hair immediately melted away and turned back into mist, blending into the bleak cold wind blowing from the valley.
The young man composed himself, and then he laughed dumbly: "I was just joking casually at the Xie Ma Inn, but now we are about to reach the capital, and you still hold grudges? Isn't this too petty?"
Hearing this, Lishan Guangye tilted his head and took a closer look at Qi Jingzhi's face. He saw that there was no serious problem. Then he showed a gloating smile and responded unceremoniously: "Brother Shi lost to that Bifang again." Bird?"
"Hey, brother, I worked so hard to build the memorial platform, but the dove came from nowhere and occupied the magpie nest. I was often beaten to a disgrace by it, so that I couldn't even return home. It's really a strange news!"
Even if Qi Jingzhi didn't look back, he could still imagine the ugly face of Lishan Guangye. He immediately stopped suppressing the remaining anger in his heart and snorted heavily: "I'm happy!"
As soon as these three words were spoken, the cold wind and frost around the two people suddenly became weaker.
Lishan Guangye took advantage of his words and couldn't help laughing: "Brother Shi, don't be angry! When we get to the capital, I will take Brother Shi to see Duke Lu!"
"He has a high level of cultivation and far-reaching knowledge, and he loves to support the underachievers. Not to mention that Brother Shi also gave me Xianlin's first meritorious service. Mr. Lu has to help with this both in public and private affairs, and he will definitely be able to solve Brother Shi's doubts. .”
Qi Jingzhi had already made speculations about the legend of Bi Fangniao occupying the spiritual platform in his nest house and the combination of Di Hong's clan and ghosts.
That thief bird carries the aura of Immortal Feather Zhengfa, and is closely related to Baiyun Township and Weiyu Mountain, where Xuandu was born, as well as the "Green Feather Secret Scroll" written by Long Daojian Renshou, Ruomu Daoling, and Fengwu Liantu. It probably played a big role, and Mr. Langya's shouting question was inseparable from it.
If you really need someone to answer your questions, Master Xuandu and Lord Langya are undoubtedly the most suitable candidates.
However, if Qi Jingzhi wants to call his master, he must go to the spiritual platform and play the bone flute, but he is unable to do so now.
As for Lord Langya, he didn’t even leave behind the method of summons. Moreover, counting the time, the Grand Sima of Gouchen Academy was probably not in the capital at this time. Otherwise, he would not have been able to carry out important tasks such as escorting Anfeng Hou Ding Chengyuan to the capital. It fell on the heads of Geshu Dashi and Wei Bao.
Thinking of this, Qi Jingzhi turned his head and glanced at the "Lingtai Lang" in Lishan Guangye, but in his heart he remembered the legend of the Tongyu clan who built Lutai and watched the sun.
As his practice progressed and his horizons expanded, he no longer dared to underestimate the myths, legends, and ancient secrets that were either magnificent or bizarre.
Among those fragments of words that have been passed down orally or preserved in historical classics, there may be hints of the practice methods of the ancient great masters.
That Duke of Lu was considered by Lishan Guangye to be the direct descendant of the Tongyu family, so he could not say that he had any unique secrets in practicing at Lingtai.
Therefore, Qi Jingzhi gently nodded and said: "Gong Lu is in charge of the Huntian Supervision Department and is the Lizheng of Great Qi. Xianyu Mountain is inherited from the Fengniao family of Lizheng in the ancient heaven. As a junior scholar, I will go to see you now." Gao Xian."
Hearing this, Lishan Guangye's expression immediately became solemn: "Oh, I didn't even take this into consideration just now!"
This guy has now gotten a rough idea of Qi Jingzhi's background. He frowned and pondered for a while before he said cheerfully: "Fortunately, my brother's cultivation is still shallow and his reputation is not obvious. It doesn't matter if he meets Lu Gong. It's not a big deal. If it were different. When the Master of Xuandu Monastery arrives in person, everyone in the Huntian Division will immediately jump into high gear, as if they are welcoming a distinguished guest or facing a formidable enemy!"
When Qi Jingzhi heard Lishan Guangye's words, he felt in a daze and then was horrified.
After all, more than half a year ago, he was just a hunter in the mountains who had never grown up. Now he has become the first disciple of Master Xuandu, who has the honor and disgrace of his master. In addition, he also has the military position of Lieutenant of Gouchenyuan. , especially after entering the capital, his words, deeds, and actions may all fall into the eyes of interested people, so he really cannot be careless.
At that moment, Qi Jingzhi pondered for a moment, and then thanked him sincerely: "Thank you for your kindness, dear brother!"
He paused, then suddenly changed the topic: "I just have a few words to say to you, brother. If I sincerely recommend you, dear brother, please set the date before you change your clan, change your family name, and resign from your official position. Otherwise, Mr. Lu Once you get angry and want to clean up the Tongyu family, your good brother will be in great trouble. Of course, he is asking for kindness and getting kindness. I call you my brother as a brother, but I will be implicated for nothing. Isn't it too innocent?"
After Qi Jingzhi said these words, when he looked at Lishan Guangye again, he saw that this guy was already dumbfounded.
A moment later, Lishan Guangye suddenly burst out laughing again, shaking his head while laughing: "Brother Shi, the sharpness of his words is indeed not inferior to that of a sword, but I have never had the upper hand..."
The two of them have been on the road these days, and they often enjoy bickering when they are bored. They can also joke, and their friendship with each other has become much deeper without even realizing it.
Lishan Guangye laughed for a while, raised his hand and pointed forward: "Yesterday, my brother passed through Shiweng Valley without entering, and missed the Zen holy land of Fuya Temple. Now Qi Yuan is already close in front of us, but no matter what Don’t miss it again, otherwise your surname will be lost in vain!”
Speaking of which, the Dongxiu Mountains on the southern outskirts of the capital of Da Qi are not famous for their steepness. On the contrary, there are many winding paths and beautiful valleys. They are a good place to spend the summer and live in seclusion to practice Taoism. The stone urn where Fuya Temple is located Valley is one of them.
Qi Jingzhi traveled along the way and saw many clear streams and valleys along the way. At this time, he looked in the direction pointed by Lishan Guangye. Although he had not seen anything special, his heartstrings suddenly tightened. It was a rare sight. There is a throbbing, even a little uncontrollable.
"Tian Qiyuan..."
Qi Jingzhi couldn't help but sigh. Even though he had never been to the capital of Qi before, he had already heard about Tian Qiyuan's reputation from Master Meng.
Just as Dongyue Taizhou was named after Dongyue Taishan, which was established by the Nine-He Holy King, Qidi, Qi State and even the Qi family named Jiang were named after Tian Qiyuan.
I especially remember that in Meng's private school, when Master Meng was explaining Chinese characters, he proudly said to a group of Meng children: "Qi means Zhongye, which is the center of things. The state of Qi is the state of the center. "
At that time, Qi Jingzhi was particularly interested because he had the surname of the country, so he couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "The world is vast and boundless, how can we be sure that Daqi is in the center?"
Master Meng first slapped him on the hand without hesitation, and then explained with a smile: "The reason why Qi is Qi is that Qi is Qi with heaven."
"First, our Daqi territory is vast. It once bordered the East China Sea to the east, the South China Sea to the south, and the North Sea to the north. Although the location of the West Sea has never been discovered, the land of Daqi is obviously located among the four seas. Therefore, it is said that the four seas are united. It’s called the central country.”
"Both of them, in the middle state of our Da Qi, south of the capital, there is an unfathomable divine spring that absorbs hundreds of rivers at one glance. The saints and the ancestors named it: Tian Qi Yuan."
"Qi is the original word for navel. Tian Qiyuan is the belly button of heaven. Since the sages all believe that Tian Qiyuan is the navel of the world, we, Da Qi, are naturally ranked among the world and the four seas. The Kingdom of the Middle.”
"It is precisely for this reason that the ancestors of the Daqi Dynasty used Tianqiyuan as a place of worship for the God of Heaven. The Imperial Emperor Temple located in Tianqiyuan is also the most magnificent of the Tiandi Temples in Daqi..."
Qi Jingzhi thought back at this moment and realized that Master Meng's explanation was probably just wishful thinking.
The sages of the Jiang clan and the ancestors of the Qi Kingdom spread this rhetoric specifically to encourage the ancestors to work hard and open up the mountains and forests. The Qi Kingdom's current prosperity is undoubtedly due to Tian Qiyuan's contribution.
Lishan Guangye saw that Qi Jingzhi was obviously very interested in Tian Qiyuan, so he said with great interest: "Brother Shi probably knows the origin of Tian Qiyuan's allusions better than I do, so I won't go into details. I just talk to Brother Shi. Let’s talk about the customs here in recent years!”
"In the past hundred years, as our country of Da Qi has grown in power, the amount of water in Tianqiyuan has become more and more abundant, and it has gradually differentiated into five springs, including Fengquan, Ruiquan, Tianquan, Diquan, and Tianqi Pool."
"All the officials and people in the capital regard the 'five springs coming out of each other' as auspiciousness. Every spring, families will come here to climb mountains to find water, go on spring outings to worship the saints, and pray for good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people. Every March 3rd, the Shangsi Festival, many more people come. Take a bath next to the water to wash away the old and cleanse the new, eliminate evil spirits, eliminate diseases and disasters, and pray for children..."
The two of them were talking and running non-stop. Suddenly, the road ahead suddenly turned, and a large lake appeared out of the sky and crashed directly into Qi Jingzhi's eyes.
He suddenly felt refreshed. He straightened his back and looked far into the distance. He saw vast mist, sparkling water, boats going back and forth, and aquatic animals floating and sinking. He felt that the aura in the water was so rich that he had never seen it in his life.
There are many roads of different widths criss-crossing the lake. When the two of them came, there was an endless stream of carriages, horses and pedestrians on the road. There were many flagpoles standing in the shade of the trees beside the road, and most of the flagpoles hanging on them were three-foot wine flags. , the characters "wine", large and small, danced in the autumn wind, and the breath of human nature rushed towards our faces.
Looking further into the distance, the lake is surrounded by many mountains, forests and valleys, with towers and palaces nestled among them. The eaves of the palace are vaguely visible, and there are morning bells and evening drums, and smoke is lingering. Each has its own beauty and solemnity, but it is difficult to distinguish them in a hurry. There is no temple built by imperial decree for the Emperor of Heaven.
Seeing such magnificent scenery, Qi Jing's mind widened, and most of his long-standing fatigue and tiredness were immediately eliminated.
He deliberately took a few more glances at the roads by the lake, and found that these intertwined roads seemed chaotic, but at most they only had four thoroughfares, and there was not a single road to the road.
Lishan Guangye was obviously in a good mood and smiled happily: "It is now the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. It is not a day for visiting the lake and repairing evil spirits. Officials and people from all over the city come here out of the city to worship and pray. It is just for the purpose of visiting the lake and admiring it. Scenery, feasting and having fun.”
"As for the wine used in the banquet, the most famous one is 'Three Banana Leaves', which is brewed from the clearest and sweetest spring water in Tianqiyuan. It can make the drinkers forget their favors and insults, eliminate their sorrows, and have a good time. Sweet dreams of flowers!"
"As the saying goes, elegant deeds fade away in sorrow, and beautiful flowers suddenly appear in the mist. Drink three banana leaves with all your heart, and wake up with the fragrance of the bedside and lingering dreams."
Lishan Guangye got excited and suddenly turned his horse's head, leading the way into an inconspicuous branch road: "Brother, follow me quickly, I know where to find the best three banana leaves!"
Qi Jingzhi looked at the sun and saw that it was almost noon, so he patted Bannu's neck and followed the sound of Liju's hooves.
Under the guidance of Li Shan Guangye, the two of them followed a clear mountain stream, walked through the forest and entered the valley, and found a remote and uninhabited wine shop.
Behind the wine shop are two opposite mountain walls. The stream previously gushes out from between the two mountains, bypasses the back wall of the wine shop, and winds its way to Tianqiyuan beyond the forest.
Qi Jingzhi noticed that at this time, when the door should have been opened to welcome guests, the doors and windows of the wine shop in front of him were closed.
There is a thatched pavilion in front of the wine shop. Outside the pavilion is a gurgling stream and banana plants. It is full of green in late autumn. There are wooden tables and rattan chairs in the pavilion, which makes it feel a bit wild.
On the top of the thatched pavilion is a half-new wine flag. In addition to a large word "wine", there are eight small characters on the flag: "Jixia famous wine, Pu family's ancient recipe."
"This Pu's wine shop is not well-known in the capital. I heard about it accidentally at first, and it took me a long time to find it."
"His Sanjiaoye old wine is made by the owner according to secret ancient recipes. It has a rich cellar aroma, a long sauce aroma, a harmonious thick sauce, and a clean and mellow finish. It is really a rare product."
After saying this, Lishan Guangye turned over and dismounted, tied the Liju to the pillar of the thatched pavilion, then quickly walked into the pavilion, grabbed a wicker chair, slumped his chubby body in it, and let out a satisfied sound from his mouth. sigh.
Qi Jingzhi, who was waiting for the guest to do as he pleased, sat down opposite him, and then lazily clapped his hands three times: "Where are Pu Shan and Pu Xi?"
As soon as he finished speaking, there were two sounds of water rushing from the mountain stream outside the pavilion.
Qi Jingzhi turned around and saw two children with skin as black as coal standing up from the stream, bowing to them.
Apart from their strange skin color, they have pretty features, well-dressed, and are dry and smooth with no trace of moisture on them.
A black boy said respectfully: "Little Pushan!"
Another one immediately responded: "Little Pu Xi!"
"I've met Mr. Li!"
The two black children said in unison: "You haven't been here for a long time! My master is not in the shop today, so we two brothers can only serve the master to eat and drink!"
"Hey! This is the same rhetoric that has not changed for many years! The master of your family has always been like a dragon that sees its head but never its tail. I have never heard of anyone seeing his true face."
Lishan Guangye complained nonchalantly, and then ordered in a serious voice: "From now on, you will call me Mr. Lishan!"
Seeing the two black boys hurriedly responded, Lishan Guangye smiled with satisfaction, then introduced to Qi Jingzhi: "Brother, these two are the servants raised by the master here."
After he finished speaking, he raised his fingers and pointed to the two mountain walls behind the wine shop, and then pointed to the stream outside the pavilion: "There are rocks on the left and right, and water grows in them. The water flows out for thousands of years. Its essence is called Shan, its name is Xi, and it looks like a child. , black. Calling it by name can help you get food."
After saying that, Lishan Guangye asked Pu Shan and Pu Xi again: "What are the dishes that go with the wine today?"
After hearing this, Pu Shan thought carefully before replying: "I remember Li... Mr. Lishan never eats horse meat or fish, so there is only one mountain delicacy left."
Pu Xi, who was on the side, was obviously more lively, but he smiled and continued: "I would like to teach Master Lishan to know that my master hunted a crocodile a few days ago, and now he still has two taels of charming bones left!"
(End of chapter)
