In the end, Cao Zhe didn't eat the vole meat.
Because Hongyu said that vole meat has a strong earthy smell, and to make it delicious, some spices and fruits are needed to match it.
Fruits are not difficult to find, but spices cannot be bought in just any small town. You can only wait until you get to the capital.
Taking the head chef Hongyu and a grain storage field mouse demon, the group set off, boarded Cao Zhe's driving cloud, and headed straight for the capital.
Walking above Taoshui River, I suddenly heard someone shouting below.
"Taoist Master Xuanxuanzi! Taoist Master Xuanxuanzi!"
"Please come down and tell me. Xiao Wang has prepared a banquet and is just waiting for Taoist Master Xuan Xuanzi to come and start the banquet!"
Cao Zhe wondered in his heart, where did this 'king' come from, but he knew his name and blocked his way?
I didn't care.
But suddenly a strong fragrance floated into the sky.
At the same time, the treasure light below is sparkling, making it look extremely extraordinary.
When the clouds fell, I saw a huge manor on the bank of the Taotao River. The manor was very beautifully built, with gorgeous corridors and houses, just like a noble family's home.
Cao Zhe circulated his magic power, gathered it between his eyebrows, stimulated the Yintang point and opened his eyes, but what he saw was a field of wild reeds.
"It turned out to be some deception, but the skill is already so good that it can be confused with the real thing." Cao Zhe thought to himself.
But at the door of the manor, there stood a big man with a big head and white lines on his eyebrows. He was very richly dressed and accompanied by two or three servants. He was looking at Cao Zhe with a smile and waving.
When Cao Zhe fell from the clouds, the man greeted him warmly: "Taoist Master Xuanxuanzi! How long have you been waiting for me, little king?"
"Please come in! Please come in!" After saying that, he came forward and took Cao Zhe's hand, leading Cao Zhe inside.
Hongyu carried the field mouse demon and followed Cao Zhe, feeling a little at a loss.
She instinctively smelled the extremely powerful demonic energy, and intuitively sensed danger, but was controlled by her instincts and no longer dared to speak.
Cao Zhe, a skilled man, was bold and fearless, so he followed the big man into the inner room.
As expected, the living room was filled with fine wine and meat.
I don’t know how this big man knew that Cao Zhe liked delicious food. The delicacies on this table are rare to see in the inner courtyard of the palace, let alone in ordinary people’s homes.
The rich aroma intertwined into one piece, almost forming a rainbow in mid-air.
However, Cao Zhe did not sit down at the table immediately. Instead, he raised his hands and said to the big man: "The eight kings have something to offer. Although Xiaodao dare not refuse, his ability is limited, so he is afraid that it will be difficult to do anything."
Obviously, Cao Zhe had recognized who was hosting this sudden banquet for him.
These eight kings were originally giant turtles, but they were unusual monsters. They once served as officials in heaven and were in charge of one area. They were equivalent to a county magistrate in the human world. Although the officials were not big, they still had a higher rank than ordinary immortals and minor gods. Higher.
But later he became addicted to drinking, which angered the Emperor of Heaven, and he was demoted to earth.
Although he lost his official position, his heritage is still there.
It's not easy to blame someone casually.
As for why these eight kings entertained Cao Zhe.
Cao Zhe already had some guesses in his mind.
When the eight kings saw that Cao Zhe was not at the table, they refused directly, and their faces suddenly dropped.
"If the Taoist priest doesn't eat my food and wine, is it because he dislikes my poor hospitality here?"
"If the rumor gets out, how can I hang out in the river basin in the future?"
Cao Zhe said, "Senior brother gave me many instructions before I left. Don't stray into worldly affairs and delay your practice. The Eight Great Kings also asked me not to let me annoy senior brother."
The dialogue between the two seems simple, but in fact they are threatening each other.
The Eight Kings warned Cao Zhe that he had a wide network of contacts and had old friends all over the river basin. If he offended him, he might not be able to move forward in the future.
But Cao Zhe told the Eight Kings that he had a senior brother with him. If he went too far, his senior brother would hold him accountable, and the Eight Great Kings would not be able to bear the punishment!
Sure enough, the Eight Kings still gave in!
Cao Zhe guessed well. The true identity of Laoshan Taoist is not simple.
"Why would Taoist Master reject people thousands of miles away like this!"
He handed over a pearl and said: "This object is a dust-repelling pearl. It is invulnerable to water and fire. It collects the light of the sun and the moon. It is useful for practice. If the Taoist priest agrees to help with the journey, this object will be given to the Taoist priest."
Cao Zhe shook his head and refused.
Does Cao Zhe need this thing to help him practice?
As long as he is given enough resources, he can go all out and make rapid progress.
So frankly speaking, the allure of a dust-proof bead is not as powerful as the food and wine on the table.
The Eight Kings were helpless, so they carefully took out a book from their sleeves and handed it to Cao Zhe in a vague way.
Then he used the method of sound transmission to say in Cao Zhe's ear: "This book contains many strange things in the mountains and rivers, the lairs of vicious demons, and the things they are taboo and afraid of. They were written by me when I was on duty in heaven. Borrowed from the records of the strange treasure. I will give it to the Taoist Priest today so that the Taoist Priest can accumulate his external merits and ascend to immortality as soon as possible."
Cao Zhe was attracted by this book, and he opened it and took a look at it. The records in it corresponded to the locations of some demons in the Liaozhai stories in his memory.
It's not like these eight kings are just making things up.
Putting away the book, Cao Zhe said seriously: "You want me to go to Prince Su's Mansion to rescue your savior!"
The expression of the Eight Kings changed, and they no longer dared to look down upon Cao Zhe in the slightest.
"It's true that the Taoist master can figure things out."
"You are right. Since I came down to earth, I have grown older and lost my spirit. I don't have much time left, so I got drunk and got drunk. I was caught by accident. This is exactly what happened to me. The calamity is inevitable."
"But because of the noble man's rescue, he escaped from death and gained a new life."
"It's just that my noble man is destined to suffer a calamity because of this. If he can't escape the calamity, he may die on my behalf. I originally gave him a treasure as a gift, thinking that with the collected treasures, he would be able to resist the calamity when it comes. Unexpectedly, it was my act of giving away the treasure that brought disaster to him..." As he said this, the old turtle kept shaking his head, looking sad.
But can you take his words seriously?
Cao Zhe has read the original story.
Feng Sheng of Lintao was originally a descendant of a wealthy family, but later his family declined. There was a man who made a living by catching turtles. He couldn't repay his debt, so he killed turtles and offered them to him to pay off his debt.
When Feng Sheng saw the supernatural power of the eight kings, he released them.
Later, the Eight Kings hosted a banquet for Feng Sheng and gave him a turtle treasure.
From then on, Feng Sheng's eyes became very bright, and he could see wherever treasures were hidden, even deep underground. Even if you don't recognize something on a daily basis, you can name it casually.
Later, Feng Sheng got into trouble because of a treasure mirror he found and offended King Su.
He almost died several times, but fortunately his wife, who was smart and courageous, tried her best to save him, and then he was rescued.
After Feng Sheng escaped from danger, the Eight Kings took back the turtle treasure, but said that the time for lending it out was up, and if the turtle treasure stayed in the body for a long time, it would damage his hard work and shorten his life.
Judging from the correspondence between before and after, it is difficult not to think that these eight kings borrowed the yin skills and yin virtues of Feng Sheng's ancestors to avoid disasters and overcome disasters.
Now, the Eight Kings are looking for Cao Zhe to help Feng Sheng get into trouble.
Is this helping Feng Sheng or himself?
"I want to know, who told you that I was going to pass through this place and had the ability to rescue Feng Sheng?" Cao Zhe never let go, but asked the Eight Kings who leaked his whereabouts.
