In the Xuandu Temple, Li Shimin was wearing a powerful black robe. He was only followed by the eunuch in charge, Gao Quan, and the White Tiger captain, Wang Bo. The rest of the people retreated to avoid disturbing the imperial master while he was recovering from his injuries.
When they arrived outside the small courtyard of Xuandu, their eyes suddenly lit up.
The rich fragrance of flowers mixed with the fragrance of willow leaves hits the face, refreshing people. Looking up, I see green vines climbing all over the wall, and a few unknown wild flowers blooming quietly, full of vitality.
Wild bees are flying and bluebirds are chirping, just like Jiangnan gardens, a paradise.
"Sometimes I really envy Taichong. I can leave a peaceful place amidst the chaos."
Perhaps because the political affairs these days are too busy, Li Shimin, who has always been diligent in his work, is actually a little envious of Li Daoxuan's life.
He couldn't help but joked: "I work hard at night and worry about national affairs. It's better to be too busy. I hide in a treasured place and enjoy peace and happiness. Haha, if he can't cure my heart disease this time, I will drag him there no matter what." Stay in the palace for a few days and watch me review the memorial!"
Gao Quan smiled and said: "I believe that the Imperial Master will not disappoint His Majesty."
As he spoke, he wanted to knock on the door, but a bark suddenly sounded. Gao Quan felt a black light flash in front of his eyes, and then a black dog the size of a calf appeared, with strong muscles, ferocious fangs, and a flashing light in his eyes. Cold light.
"Who among you dares to disturb the master?"
Gao Quan's heart trembled, and there was fear in his eyes. The dog actually spoke?
"No, this is a monster, protect your majesty!"
Wang Bo took a step forward and stood in front of Li Shimin. He looked at the black dog with fear in his eyes. The ape immortal enshrined in his body reminded him that the dog demon in front of him was very difficult to deal with.
Xiao Tian stared at Wang Bo with a hint of difference in his eyes.
"It turned out to be a monkey..."
Drops of saliva seeped out from its mouth, and a strong fighting spirit emerged in Xiaotian's heart. For some reason, it always subconsciously wanted to take a bite of the monkey demon.
Fortunately, Li Shimin was calm enough. He took a step forward, and the strong dragon energy around him made Xiaotian regain his consciousness.
"The master you call me is Taichong?"
"Woof woof, that's right. By the way, I remembered. The master said that someone will be here in half an hour, so he asked me to come to greet him. It should be you."
There was a strange look in Li Shimin's eyes. Half an hour ago, he was having dinner in the palace, but his heart ailment was not cured and the food was tasteless, so he suddenly decided to come to see Taichong.
In other words, before he decided to come to Xuandu to watch, Taichong had already calculated that he was coming and asked the dog demon to wait here in advance.
After killing Wuzhiqi, Taichong seems to be even more powerful...
A glimmer of expectation arose in Li Shimin's heart. For him, the stronger Taichong is, the better. It is best to become a Yang God or even an immortal, and then protect the Tang Dynasty.
"Come with me."
Xiaotian knew that he could not bite the monkey anymore, so he suddenly became listless. It turned into a puppy and walked towards the courtyard, with Li Shimin and three others following behind it.
Not long after walking, Li Shimin saw Taichong.
Among the flowers, there was a large stone about two feet high, square in shape, and a handsome Taoist priest in white sitting cross-legged next to the stone, holding a chisel and tapping the surface of the big stone gently.
The chisel was crystal clear, like crystal, with wisps of purple-green electric light visible in it, making it appear to be something other than a mortal thing at first glance.
If Zhang Jiuxiao was resurrected, he would be so angry that he would vomit blood when he saw this scene, because the chisel that was striking the stone was his magic weapon, the Thunder God's Thorn.
"Your Majesty, please sit down and wait a moment."
Li Daoxuan stretched out his hand a little, and the vines on the other side of the stone rolled up automatically, forming a soft futon.
Li Shimin strode forward, sat on it and watched for a while, then smiled and said, "Taichong, what are you doing?"
Li Dao
Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said: "You are so great, Taichong, the gift I prepared for you is priceless, how can you deal with me with a stone?"
Li Daoxuan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please wait and see."
After saying that, he waved his sleeves on the stone, and the breeze blew by, rolling up streaks of stone powder, revealing dotted patterns, arranged vertically and horizontally, clearly making it a perfect chessboard.
"Does Your Majesty still like this chessboard?"
Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly and said repeatedly: "What a great punch, what a great punch!"
He waved his hand, and Gao Quan immediately took out something from his arms, which were two chess boxes.
"Master National Preceptor, Your Majesty recently obtained two pieces of exquisite jade, one black and one white. He heard that you like to play chess, so he specially ordered someone to make them into chess pieces."
Li Shimin sighed: "A prophet can predict events like a god. It seems that the Imperial Master is not only powerful in fighting skills, but also has the best ability in divination!"
Li Dao
After a pause, he continued: "Now that we have the chess pieces and the chessboard, Your Majesty, why don't we talk about a game?"
"good!"
Li Shimin also likes to play chess, and is ready to fight Li Daoxuan for three hundred rounds.
The crisp sounds of chess pieces kept coming, and soon the chessboard was densely packed with black and white. Li Shimin's eyes were bright. He held the black pieces, and his chess style was bold and fearless. He often made strange moves and was constantly changing.
Li Daoxuan's chess style is very steady, as solid as gold, moving step by step, motionless as a mountain, and moving as thunder.
The two met their opponents, and Li Shimin played so happily. Although he lost in the end, he was not discouraged. Instead, he felt very happy. He felt sweating all over his body and his energy was clear. The fatigue of this period seemed to be swept away.
"Taichong, there's something wrong with this chessboard."
Li Shimin finally realized the abnormality. Playing chess next to this stone, he became more and more energetic as he played.
Li Dao .”
"During this period, Your Majesty was busy rebuilding Chang'an, which resulted in damage to the dragon's body. Please bring these stones and chess pieces into the palace, and play a few games every day. They will be fine within three months."
Li Shimin stroked the stone chessboard, which was still as cold as jade in the hot summer, with fondness in his eyes.
But he suddenly sighed and said: "Taichong, this physical illness can be easily cured, but the mental illness is difficult to cure!"
A smile flashed in Li Daoxuan's eyes. He didn't know that His Majesty was ordering him.
"Your Majesty is concerned, but how can Chang'an sit back and relax and not be destroyed by demons again?"
Li Shimin stared into his eyes tightly, and there was a rare hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Is there anything Taichong can do?"
Li Daoxuan nodded and said with a smile: "I have a method that may be able to cure your majesty's heart ailment."
"What method?"
"Four Saints Formation."
…
While Li Shimin and Li Daoxuan were playing chess, Gao Quan and Wang Bo stood guard outside the door for two hours.
They didn't know what His Majesty and the Imperial Preceptor were talking about, but His Majesty's hearty laughter often sounded in the courtyard, and he seemed to be very happy.
After waiting for another half an hour, His Majesty finally came out.
He was in high spirits, his face was rosy, and he looked full of energy and motivation. How could he still be as tired as before?
"Congratulations to Your Majesty, you have successfully cured your heart disease!"
Wang Bo bowed and saluted.
Li Shimin laughed loudly and said: "I have Taichong, so I have nothing to worry about!"
After a pause, he continued: "Go and move the chessboard that Taichong gave me back to the palace and put it in the imperial study. From now on, no one is allowed to enter it without my permission."
"promise!"
Li Shimin left happily. He got the answer he wanted. He was naturally satisfied and ready to work hard to turn Chang'an City into an invincible formation.
By then, Chang'an will be the strongest city in the world. It is easy to shake the mountains, but it is difficult to shake Chang'an.
But Li Daoxuan was not as optimistic as he was. Looking at Li Shimin's leaving figure, the smile on his face gradually faded and he sighed softly.
Because he hasn't gotten the answer he wants yet, the other two bloods of the Four Saints Formation still have no clue.
But fortunately, he has just completed the "Zi Wei Dou Shu", and coupled with his profound Taoism, he should be able to figure out the location of the last two bloods.
Li Dao
But Li Daoxuan was an exception. He opened his eyebrows and looked directly at the sun. His eyes passed through the sea of clouds and the long wind, finding the stars hidden in the day one by one, and clearly observing the details.
He stared at the stars again, this time not for practice, but to figure out the clues to the Four Saints Formation.
"Xiyi looks up at the stars in the sky, and uses them as numbers to predict people's lives. They don't celebrate festivals based on the five stars, but only focus on the year, month, day and time. First, settle down and determine the destiny, and the Ziwei Tianfu will spread all the stars..."
He muttered words in his mouth, kept kneading the secrets in his hands, and his eyes became deeper and deeper, as if they contained the mysteries of the universe, the sun and the moon.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Daoxuan's magic power was almost consumed, and wisps of sweat appeared on his forehead. The white star in the sky suddenly lit up.
The secret is fleeting.
Li Daoxuan's eyes lit up, and he had caught a glimpse of the secret. He showed a smile, and his worries disappeared. He became pure and self-sufficient, feeling more calm and calm as he had everything in his mind and his pearls of wisdom.
He laughed, feeling that the secrets of heaven were mysterious and fate was playing tricks on people. The clue that he had been thinking about so hard but could not find was actually right next to him.
"I see, that's wonderful."
…
Daxingshan Temple.
Before the sun was about to set, Xuanzang finally put down his scriptures and walked out of the Sutra Pavilion.
Facing the vast sea of precious Buddhist scriptures, he was fascinated by them. If he hadn't been worried about Xiaotang getting hungry, he might have been prepared to stay in the Buddhist Scripture Pavilion and read at night.
Logically speaking, Xuanzang was not qualified to enter such an important place as the Sutra Pavilion, but Li Daoxuan had sent someone to greet the abbot of Daxingshan Temple, so Xuanzang had the privilege of free entry and exit.
Originally, the abbot wanted to arrange a larger house for Xuanzang and a dedicated novice to serve him, but Xuanzang refused. He also begged the abbot not to reveal his identity to others and to treat him equally with other monks. Just fine.
The abbot agreed to him, so Xuanzang lived with other monks and had to do regular manual labor every day. However, he did not complain, but instead became more peaceful and content.
After eating some fast food and asking for some candies from his senior brother, Xuanzang walked towards his residence. Thinking about how Xiaotang's eyes would light up when he saw the candies later, he couldn't help but smile.
I don’t know how a water monkey likes eating sweets so much.
Before he could reach his residence, Xuanzang suddenly heard a noise, fear mixed with curses and some kind of shrill scream.
Hearing the sound, Xuanzang was startled and ran over immediately.
Sure enough, in the courtyard, a slender water monkey was tied up hand and foot by the monks and placed on a pile of firewood. It also had kerosene poured on it. Its hair was wet and stuck together. It looked frightened and trembling.
Its dark pupils looked around, as if trying to find a certain figure.
Snapped!
A burly monk held a long whip with sharp barbs on it and whipped it on the water monkey, causing a burst of blood mist.
It made a shrill cry, weeping and despairing.
"Well done!"
"Senior brother asked me to smoke it too!"
"Burn it with fire!"
…
The monks who were watching showed hatred in their eyes and applauded one after another.
During the flood in Chang'an, many monks from Daxingshan Temple died at the claws of water monkeys, including their friends. At this moment, they naturally hated this water monkey that dared to hide in the Buddhist temple.
As the whip continued to be struck, the smell of blood filled the originally peaceful and peaceful Zen courtyard.
The cry of the water monkey became more and more sad, and tears fell from his eyes.
Some monks were awakened by the pitiful sound and felt compassion in their hearts. They couldn't help but persuade: "Brother, let's send it to a bad person. Why torture it anymore?"
The whip-wielding monk glared at him, his beard stood up like a steel needle, and said angrily: "Confused, have you forgotten those Buddhist disciples who were eaten by water monkeys?"
His aura was so impressive that the entire audience fell into silence, and no one dared to raise any objection.
However, a young but firm voice sounded.
"stop!"
Everyone looked at it intently and their eyes widened.
"It's Xuanzang!"
"Junior Brother Xuanzang is here. Thanks to him, I was saved."
"Yes, if it weren't for Junior Brother Xuanzang, I would have been eaten by a water monkey by now..."
Everyone made way for him and showed respect to Xuanzang.
During the flood in Chang'an, Xuanzang used an alms bowl as a boat and a cassock as a cover to save many disciples of Daxingshan Temple and innocent people, and gained great reputation.
Some people even say that Xuanzang is the abbot's designated successor and the next abbot of Daxingshan Temple.
Seeing that it was Xuanzang who spoke to stop him, the monk holding the whip showed a trace of hesitation in his eyes. He actually respected Xuanzang, but his friend died tragically from the mouth of the water monkey. His flesh and blood were mangled, and his body has not yet been found.
Xuanzang walked up to the water monkey and looked at the scars on its body with undisguised distress in his eyes.
The water monkey also looked at Xuanzang, his dark eyes were full of smiles, and when he narrowed his eyes, they looked like crescent moons. Although his body was covered with bruises, he still smiled happily.
During this period of companionship, they have already become close friends.
It likes to eat sweets, so it is also called Xiaotang. Although Xiaotang is a water monkey, it likes to hide in the water tank and blow bubbles like a goldfish. It is very kind. Not only does it not eat fish, it also often rescues those who accidentally bite the hook. of fish.
It doesn't even have the heart to break a flower.
Someone discovered something was wrong with Xuanzang, and when Xuanzang appeared, the water monkey stopped making noises and seemed unusually quiet and well-behaved.
"This...could this water monkey...be raised by Junior Brother Xuanzang?"
"How can it be!"
"How else do you explain what it looks like now?"
"But... feeding monsters... is a capital crime!"
…
As if he understood the comments around him, Xiaotang looked anxiously at Xuanzang and motioned for him to leave quickly and leave him alone.
It even deliberately opened its mouth towards Xuanzang, revealing its jagged teeth.
"Junior Brother Xuanzang, be careful!"
"Junior Brother Xuanzang, the water monkey is a monster. Stay away from it!"
"Quick, get out of the way!"
…
Amid the noise of the crowd, Xuanzang looked calm, strode up to Xiaotang, reached out and touched its head, his eyes full of pity.
Xiaotang closed her mouth and lowered her moist eyes.
Everyone was also silent.
Xuanzang looked at them, his voice sincere and firm.
"It's called Xiaotang, and he's my friend."
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