At dawn, Wei Shiqi went to the blacksmith shop to get iron arrows and a scimitar, and waited under the Shangguan Bridge. The morning mist shrouded the town and the river flowed quietly. Xinyang Town woke up from its slumber. For a while, cocks crowing and dogs barked, vendors hawked, and cars and horses rumbled. The worldly sounds injected life into the town.
A dozen steps away, the side door of the Zhao Mansion opened, and a porter led his mules and horses out. There were bulging bags on his back, and he didn't know what they contained. Wei Shiqi hurried forward to greet him, just as Deng Zhang led a young man dressed as a Taoist priest out and gave some careful instructions. The young man nodded with a smile and whispered a few words, which seemed to reassure his uncle.
Seeing Wei Shiqi, Deng Zhang showed a smile on his face and said: "This is Brother Wei I told you about, the hunter from Laoya Ridge. He has seen the golden-backed bear in Black Pine Valley."
The young man turned his head, looked at him gently, and said, "I am a poor man, Deng Shouyi. Thank you very much for your help. The road to Black Pine Valley is difficult and dangerous, so it will be hard for the donor."
His face was as gentle as jade, his Taoist robe was spotless, and he had a rather immortal air. He carried a long sword on his back, the hilt of which was badly worn. Wei Shiqi returned the favor, said a few polite words, and stood aside to wait calmly. He knew in his heart that Deng Shouyi treated him kindly not out of respect, but out of condescension and pride in his status. In his eyes, he was equal to an ant.
Everyone had arrived, and Deng Zhang went to great lengths to personally deliver them outside Xinyang Town. He said a few words of thanks again before waving goodbye.
The bustling people were left behind, the fields were desolate, the sky was broad and the clouds were low. Wei Shiqi was the first to lead the way, Deng Shou was half a step behind, and the others were scattered on both sides, with the porters leading the mules and horses at the end. After walking for about half an hour, Laoya Ridge lay in front of us, and we were about to enter the mountain.
The mules and horses were handed over to the porters to take back to Xinyang Town, and the bags were transferred to the shoulders of the strong servants. Even the two hunters had to share some of the weight. In addition to wine and dry food, there were also iron traps and crossbows for hunting bears. This kind of special iron clamp is nothing more. Crossbows have always been military-controlled weapons and are prohibited from being owned by civilians. Zhao Yuanwai is indeed very knowledgeable. His military horse business with the northwest frontiers does not seem to be groundless.
If Wei Shiqi went to Heisong Valley alone, starting from Xinyang Town and taking a straight road over the mountains, it would only take a day and a night. However, with so many people and bags, he could only walk on a flatter mountain road, which would probably take three days. .
At noon, everyone was thirsty. Wei Shiqi found a shade of a tree to rest for a while. The group took turns drinking water from the leather bags, took out the dry and hard noodles, sandwiched them with braised beef tendons from Dongxing Restaurant, and chewed them thoroughly. Hearty.
Deng Shouyi practiced the art of fasting and did not need to eat. Wei Shiqi also did not eat bread. He took out the dried meat he brought with him from his backpack and wolfed down a few large pieces as if no one else was watching. The healthy servant surnamed Yue had a discerning eye. He walked up to Deng Shouyi and offered a clean water bag with both hands. Deng Shou waved his hand and said no, and handed it to Wei Qiyi.
Deng Shouyi had been under the sect of Xiandu for many years, and his physique was far better than that of ordinary people. This mountain road was just for leisure. He looked at everyone one by one, and everyone was a little tired, except for the hunter named Wei. He was tall in stature, but his movements were as light as a civet cat. , along the way, the breath was long and there was no turbidity, which surprised him. After Wei Shiqi drank some water, he took the initiative to start a conversation and asked about the condition of the old bear in Black Pine Valley.
Wei Shiqi had already had this intention, hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "Can I take a step to speak?"
Deng Shou glanced at him, his thoughts changed slightly, and he said, "That's fine." After that, with his sleeves fluttering, he walked deeper into the forest.
Wei Shiqi stepped forward, and when he stopped, he said before asking, "Taoist Master, that old bear is not an ordinary beast, it is a monster that has become a spirit."
"It doesn't matter if there is a poor man here." Deng Shou heard his uncle talking about it and said with a smile, "Donor Wei, are you worried?"
Wei Shiqi told him exactly what happened when the old bear swallowed the moonlight and hit his back against a tree. Deng Shouyi's face became serious and he asked for a few details, with a hint of excitement on his face. He comforted Wei Shiqi and said: "Donor, just don't worry. It's not easy to seize the fortune of heaven and earth, and absorb the essence of the sun and moon. A mere demon bear can't make a difference. However, I still have to thank the donor for reminding me. If you underestimated the demon bear and acted rashly, , maybe his life was lost in vain, which would be detrimental to God’s virtue of good life, and it would not look good on my uncle’s face.”
Although Deng Shou spoke tactfully, there was still arrogance in his tone, but it was not Wei Shiqi's original intention to remind the other party to be careful. He casually asked: "Lao Yaling has a radius of hundreds of miles, and there are countless ferocious beasts in the mountains. How come there are only That old bear in Black Pine Valley became a spirit?"
Deng Shou thought that the golden-backed bear had been cultivating for many years and might have a demon elixir in his body that could help him break through the bottleneck and advance his cultivation further. He was uneasy, and after listening to Wei Shiqi's words, he said casually: "Only the innate body can absorb the vitality of the world, the essence of the sun and the moon, and the turbid matter of the acquired world -" He consciously made a mistake and stopped talking.
Although it was just a few words, for Wei Shiqi, it was enough to answer his confusion. The key to cultivation lies in the innate body. Regardless of humans or animals, most of them are acquired turbidity. They can only struggle hard in the world and cannot get rid of the two words "fate" and "luck".
He sighed secretly.
