The heat of summer is gradually showing...
Continuous walking made Li Hao exhausted, but he was still full of energy and full of expectations.
"Master Qing, are you sure Wudang Mountain will accept me?" Li Hao asked worriedly, "Do you want to give me some incense money or something?"
"There's no need at all. As long as I'm here, Wudang Mountain doesn't exist and I won't accept it. It's just that practicing Taoism is very difficult, so you have to be mentally prepared."
Li Hao was relieved and smiled proudly: "It's just about suffering. I can endure any kind of hardship. When I was running between the capital and Baoding, I also had to learn the Shen family's industrial operations and negotiate business cooperation. I didn't even complain about hardship or tiredness."
Haha, the fact is, you shouted louder than anyone else... Li Qing curled his lips secretly and said seriously:
"Cultivation is more difficult than that, and it takes at least half a year to go up the mountain. During this period, you have no chance to regret it, but you have to think about it."
"Master Qing, you underestimate me too much." Li Hao said dissatisfied, "I am not a pampered young master from a noble family. As long as they are willing to accept me, everything else is not a problem. Don't worry, I will never embarrass you."
Li Qing nodded happily: "In that case, I won't open the back door for you."
"But don't open it. It will only affect my progress. I don't want to be treated differently as others do to me." Li Hao clenched his fists and said, "In the past six months, I will not slack off at all and work hard at all times."
After half a year of hard work, what you get in exchange is a lifetime of pretending. This is such a good deal.
Li Hao took a deep breath and said, "Master Qing, continue on your way."
"haha okay."
~
A few days later, Wudang Mountain.
The two men pulled up the reins together, and the horse neighed, raised its front hooves, and then stopped.
There is a hint of relief in their eyes...
Li Qing turned over and dismounted, saying: "Tie the horse here first, I will ask my junior brother to settle it later."
"good."
Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief, and followed Master Qing to lead him to a tree and tie a rope. Then, he looked up at the green mountain and the buildings on the mountain, and couldn't help but marvel:
"It's so spectacular!"
"Let's go." Li Qing went up the mountain first.
"Master Qing, wait for me." Li Hao hurriedly followed him...
Halfway up the mountain, I met more than ten Taoist priests who came down the mountain to buy things. The leader said in surprise:
"Eldest brother?"
As he spoke, the Taoist priests behind him also crowded forward.
"Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother...is it really you?"
"It's me." Li Qing smiled, "Are you going down the mountain to do some shopping?"
"Yes, the harvest on the mountain is not enough for food, so we have to go down to the mountain twice a month to buy." The middle-aged Taoist priest said with a smile, "Isn't it the end of the month? I will improve my life tomorrow on the first day of the new year, haha..."
Li Qing smiled and nodded: "Go ahead. By the way, there are two horses at the foot of the mountain. Let them help and lead them up when you come back."
"Yes, senior brother."
It's a pity that horses can't talk, otherwise, all the Li Qing clan would have been scolded.
Li Hao looked away from the group of Taoist priests who came down the mountain and said in surprise, "Master Qing, you didn't brag. You really have some status in Wudang Mountain."
"When have I ever boasted?" Li Qing rolled his eyes, "Let's go, let's go up the mountain first and take you to see the leader."
"You can also talk to the leader?"
"...It's fair to say." Li Qing said angrily, "The ugly words are ahead. Once you go up the mountain, you will have no way out. Cultivation is very difficult. It's too late for you to regret it now."
"Haha... What a joke, am I, Li Hao, a person who can't endure hardship?" Li Hao stood proudly with disdain on his face.
Li Qing also smiled: "Yes, I have the guts!"
…
"Elder brother, are you back?"
"Big brother, hello, big brother."
The closer they get to the top of the mountain, the more Taoist priests they meet, and the two quickly become the focus. Of course, Li Hao is just a foil.
The juniors were very enthusiastic and respectful, but this time, the progress up the mountain also slowed down.
Li Hao couldn't help but be a little shocked. How popular is Mr. Qing?
He had been with Mr. Qing for a long time, and he had a deep understanding of Mr. Qing's temperament. He thought that people like Mr. Qing would not be welcomed anywhere, but he didn't want to...
"Master Qing, you really have two brushes!"
"..."
At this time, Yu Xuan came over after hearing the news and saw that it was really Li Qing. He was overjoyed and excited, "Elder brother, is it really you?"
Seeing that this man was extraordinary, Li Hao asked: "Master Qing, who is this...?"
Yu Xuan was startled, and then looked at Li Hao with doubts in his eyes.
"This is not the place to talk. Let's go to the back mountain quiet room first."
"Hey, okay, Senior Brother, please." Yu Xuan hurriedly made an invitation gesture, "This layman please."
~
Quiet room.
The three of them sat down.
Li Qing asked: "Where is Yu Zhen?"
"Senior brother, the leader, is in seclusion." Yu Xuan sighed, "Senior brother, he is already in his seventies, and his body and bones are getting worse day by day. At this stage, the affairs of Wudang Mountain are all taken care of by junior brother."
Li Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Take me to find him later."
"Yes." Yu Xuan nodded, then looked at Li Hao, "Elder brother, is this...?"
Li Hao and everyone were numb.
Even the second in command of Wudang who is about to take over as the leader is called Senior Brother Qingye, and the title of leader is missing the word "big". Doesn't that mean... Qingye is more awesome than the leader of Wudang?
Do you call this some status?
"He is a distant relative of mine, one who is beyond the nine clans." Li Qing said, "He is very interested in cultivating Taoism. When I met him, I brought him here. You can arrange it for him later and treat him as a newcomer. That’s it, don’t give him preferential treatment.”
Li Hao added: "I came to the mountain to endure hardships. Senior can just arrange it."
"That's it..." Yu Xuan nodded lightly, "It's been a hard journey, so you need to rest for two days, and Pindao will make arrangements for you later."
After a pause, "Are you really not afraid of hardship?"
Li Hao smiled and said, "I went up the mountain just to practice Taoism. If I really want to be afraid of hardship, why go up the mountain?"
He didn't know much about Taoist priests, but he also knew that it was not easy to reach the level of Master Qing in only half a year.
We must work hard!
"Make it more difficult for me." Li Hao was afraid of making a mistake, so he took another insurance step.
Yu Xuan hesitated and looked at Li Qing.
"Just follow what he said," Li Qing said. "This kid has nothing but a few things. He is down-to-earth and capable, and is not afraid of hardship."
"Elder brother, are you serious?" Yu Xuan asked worriedly.
Li Qing nodded seriously and said solemnly: "His request to endure hardship must be met. By the way, he is my grandson according to seniority. Don't mess with this aspect of seniority."
"Junior brother, I have taken note of it." Yu Xuan nodded, "Senior brother, sit down for a moment, and junior brother will first arrange this disciple...his nephew properly."
Li Qing nodded and said to Li Hao: "If you use my guise and pretend to be powerful on the mountain, I will skin you."
"I know." Li Hao muttered depressedly, "Really...can't you give me some face?"
"Um?"
Li Hao was stunned, and said with a smile: "Then I'll thank you, Master."
Hehe, being the nephew of the second-in-command in Wudang is not a disadvantage. At least he is a second-generation disciple, right?
However, there are quite a few disciples of the first generation on this mountain. The Taoist priests he met just now are all of the same generation as Master Qing... Li Hao secretly calculated his ecological niche on the mountain.
"Haha...nephew, you're welcome. I'm coming with my uncle."
"Ah, oh, uncle, please." Li Hao stood up, "Master Qing, I'll go then."
Li Qing nodded.
~
The Datongbu bedroom has quilts, mats, and two new sets of coarse preaching robes. Although it meets the basic needs, it is extremely simple.
However, this is not difficult to accept for Li Hao, who yearns for a monastic life.
Isn't it just that he is poorly dressed and sleeps poorly? He can bear this hardship!
However, he soon experienced that not only was he poorly dressed and slept poorly, but he was also poorly fed.
Vegetable rice bowl at noon, rice porridge with pickles at night, nothing fishy at all, the rice is all brown rice, and the taste is not bad.
Doesn’t it mean that the Taoist priests in Wudang Mountain are not afraid of meat and fish?
This is what Wudang Mountain is so big for?
Li Hao couldn't accept it, so he took a few bites and gave them to his uncle who was staying with him.
By the way, why are all the uncles in this room... Li Hao was lying on his side on the bed, listening to the snores of the uncles in the room, not feeling sleepy at all.
My stomach is still growling...
Li Hao felt that he had just fallen asleep when he was pushed awake by his uncle next to him. He stared in confusion, "Uncle, what are you doing?"
"Master nephew, it's time to get up and do your homework."
Li Hao scratched his hair and glanced out the window, "It's not daylight yet!"
"That's all. Get up and do some morning exercises." The middle-aged Taoist priest couldn't help but drag him up. The acting master had told him that this only apprentice nephew in Wudang Mountain must work hard and work hard for his body and mind!
Li Hao was too sleepy to hold his head straight, "Uncle, I slept too late last night. Please help me take a leave."
"That's not okay. If you want to ask for leave, you should ask for it yourself. Get up quickly."
"..."
After being dragged to the square in front of the main Taoist temple, Li Hao's sleepiness eased slightly. Looking at the morning exercise team of thousands of people, he couldn't help but marvel.
"So many people!"
"Speak less, nephew," the middle-aged Taoist priest whispered, "Follow my uncle, you are a newcomer and you only have a seven-day trial period. If you fail to pass the test, you will be kicked off the mountain!"
"Ah?" Li Hao was stunned and said nonchalantly, "I, there are people above me, I shouldn't be..."
"This is the iron rule of Wudang Mountain. No one can make exceptions, not even senior brother." The middle-aged Taoist priest added.
Hearing this, Li Hao did not dare to slack off anymore, and his sleepiness was reduced by most.
…
After half an hour of morning exercise, Li Hao's chest was pressed against his back. Although breakfast was still unpalatable, he was no longer picky about food this time.
A steamed bun, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of pickles, he ate them all.
Li Hao wiped his mouth and felt good about not being hungry.
After eating, he cleared the dishes, and then started studying scriptures. With his personal master watching over him, he couldn't even be lazy even if he wanted to.
Li Hao felt doubly tortured.
I don't think he had ever studied so seriously before.
After sitting upright all morning, his waist ached and his back hurt. All the food he had eaten in the morning was digested, and his stomach rumbled.
Fortunately, lunch finally turned out to be meaty.
Two spoons of fatty pork, one chicken leg, two pieces of fish, two spoons of tofu, and a bowl of white rice... Li Hao used two spoons of fatty pork, two spoons of tofu, and two pieces of fish, and replaced his uncle with a chicken leg, which he served with rice. After eating, I was 70% full.
However, he soon realized how stupid his behavior was...
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