After crossing the river and heading north, we entered the territory of Northern Zhou, and the continuous spring rain finally stopped.
On the dirt road in the barren mountains, the old donkey carried the scholar lying on his side, stepping happily up the small slope. The sun shone through the gaps in the clouds. Lu Liangsheng squinted his eyes and raised his hand to cover his eyes with the "Illustrated Records of Mountains and Seas".
He felt a little regretful that he didn't encounter any big fish in the river that day. It was normal for monsters to appear in the rivers. According to the boatman, he saw it when he was young. Maybe he was seriously injured in the fight with the monk and sank to the bottom of the river to be eaten by fish and shrimps.
There is never a shortage of cultivators in the world. If they were not dead, their cultivation would probably be very high now.
As for the monster that was lurking at the bottom of the river last night, intending to deceive people and eat them, it was just a blue crab with a little bit of awareness. Throwing fish onto the boat was just like a person throwing bait to catch fish.
"That blue crab is ferocious, and turns black when it crosses the water. I don't know how many people are drowned in the Qinglan River every year. They feed on it, which is why it has become so ferocious. Fortunately, its intelligence is not fully developed, so it can't do any magic. However, it confirms the speculation about this book..."
The scholar had just turned to the last page of the "Illustrated Records of Mountains and Seas" in his hand. On it was a rough drawing of a river, with a big crab lying at the bottom of the river, looking up at a small boat on the water.
There is text beside it, saying:
"In the big waves of rivers and streams, dragons are the most powerful, followed by sea snakes... shrimps and crabs are the least powerful. They eat the corpses that sink to the bottom of the river day after day, and they begin to develop spirits, but their hostility increases dramatically, and their natures become vicious. If people eat them without restraint, they will develop paranoia."
The old donkey had already passed the hillside, kicking its hooves and trembling as it walked through the shade of trees. Lu Liangsheng put down his book, stood up and sat sideways, yawning.
"Master, weren't we taking the official road? Why did we end up in the wilderness?"
In the bookshelf compartment, the small door was pushed open, and the Toad Taoist changed into a short-sleeved floral dress. He stretched lazily in the morning sun, and then his expression was stunned for a moment.
"This old donkey!"
The donkey's head tilted slightly from the front, it let out a breath, and continued to walk forward happily.
Soon, they went down the slope and rested by a river. Toad untied the rope and jumped off the bookshelf. He stood on a green rock and looked around. He took out the small scroll on his back, sat down, and carefully measured on it with his round webbed fingers.
"It's okay. Just follow this dirt road and go around the back of the mountain. After twenty miles, you can return to the original path by heading east."
Lu Liangsheng squatted by the stream, gargled, spit into the cracks between the rocks, and turned his face to the side.
"Master, are you sure?"
"Humph, when has your master ever lied to you?"
When Toad said this, the corners of his mouth twitched and he snorted again. He rolled up the map scroll and put it behind him. He hugged his flippers and looked at the morning mist in the distant mountains and forests, and coughed dryly.
"… I have traveled across the land of Northern Zhou for many years. The mountains and rivers are all under my feet. What else do I not know? How could I go wrong on this route?"
"Master Toad has started bragging again." Hong Lian's voice was heard in the scroll. She had recovered quite well during this period.
The Toad Taoist jumped off the Qingyan Rock, blew a whistle, called the old donkey over, and climbed up to the compartment along the rope.
"Whether it's a lie or not, you'll know later. I'll wait for you, little ghost girl, to make amends."
Wow…
After wringing out the towel, Lu Liangsheng listened to his master and Hong Lian talking, washed his face, took a deep breath of the stream water, and exhaled heavily.
"Master, how far is Qishan from here?"
"I can't say for sure."
Toad sat on the edge of the compartment, kicking his legs as he looked over at his apprentice who was walking back and forth.
"You can't fly, so using the shrinking technique will take at least five or six days, or at most ten days or half a month."
Over there, Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey back to the dirt road, the dark-colored black-patterned gourd on his waist swaying as he walked into the bamboo forest ahead. The emerald green bamboo stretched out in a continuous line, and when the wind blew, bamboo leaves fluttered and fell on the man and the donkey.
As he was walking forward, his steps suddenly stopped. Lu Liangsheng thought of some possibilities, then continued walking forward and asked:
"Master, you said that there is a cave in Qishan with yours, and there are many elixirs. If I give some to my parents and sister, can it help them start practicing?"
"impossible."
In the small compartment, the Toad Taoist stood on his short legs and used his webbed feet to flick away a bamboo leaf that was floating towards him.
"Not everyone can start practicing, you know that, but it is possible to extend the life of your parents and sister. It just so happens that there are quite a few in my cave."
The voice paused.
"Hmm... maybe just enough for three."
Well!
Lu Liangsheng was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and subconsciously reached out to take the gourd, only to remember that there was no wine in it.
I'm still a little uncomfortable without alcohol.
"Master, we have to hurry, hold on tight!"
According to the geographical location described by Taoist Toad, after passing the mountains and forests ahead, there is an official road. Normally, going north will lead to Ningzhou, which is only about seven or eight hundred miles away from Qishan. Along the way, you can occasionally see mountain villages and towns, but after a long distance, all you can see are barren mountains and wilderness.
"Master, I'm afraid we've taken the wrong path."
"No way. Back then, I traveled all over the mountains..."
It was afternoon when the western clouds were dim and they got on an official road. From a distance they could see fields on both sides of the road. Lu Liangsheng walked over holding the reins and saw farmers walking up to the ridges of the fields and picking up their hoes.
"Old man, would you like to ask for directions?"
Hearing the words, the farmer, who was over fifty years old and carrying a hoe, turned around and saw a scholar in tattered clothes standing on the roadside, leading a donkey.
The old farmer smiled, put down his hoe, leaned it on his feet, and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Judging from your accent, you must be from the Southern Chen Dynasty, right?"
Lu Liangsheng was slightly stunned, but still replied.
"That's right. I'm from Fushui County, Nanchen. How did you hear that?"
Most farmers live a peaceful life, from childhood to adulthood, and rarely leave the village or county to farm. Even traveling merchants from north to south will not stay in one village for long.
"Don't blame me, sir. Apart from some merchants from the north, few people from the south come here. Today, a few people came to ask for directions, so I asked."
"I see."
Lu Liangsheng exchanged a few pleasantries with the old farmer, and then asked where he was going.
"To Ningzhou? Qishan?"
The old farmer shook his head and dared not speak nonsense.
"I haven't heard of it, but Shunyuan County is not far ahead. You can go there and ask."
Following the direction pointed by the old farmer, Lu Liangsheng bowed to express his gratitude, then quickly left, leading the old donkey that was grazing on the roadside. After walking along the official road for about half an incense stick of time, he saw the outline of a county town in the distance.
The setting sun dyed the western clouds red.
The rammed earth wall was not very long and was covered with holes made by earthworms. Some places had peeled off and were pitted. A Northern Zhou soldier at the city gate yawned lazily and looked at four scholars looking around with bookshelves on their backs.
"This is Shunyuan County." "Yeah, it's a bit shabby."
"It's a remote county, so I can understand it. Besides, the four of us are here to visit Mr. Wang to study, so why should we care about a county town?"
"Brother, that's right, that's right."
…
"The city gates are closed!"
The soldier guarding the city saw that it was almost time, so he howled and called his companions to go back inside. When they were pushing the city gate to close, a scholar came in quickly leading an old donkey, got off the donkey, and bowed politely.
"I'm sorry, I almost missed it."
"Never mind. It's alright."
Don't hit a smiling person. Seeing that he was a weak scholar dressed in shabby clothes, the soldiers didn't ask him many questions.
"Thank you very much."
While expressing his gratitude, Lu Liangsheng walked towards the friendly-looking soldier and asked:
"Hey, big brother, can you tell me the way to Ningzhou?"
"Towards Ningzhou?"
The soldier was stunned for a moment, then looked at his companions and laughed out loud.
"Why are you running around like a scholar who doesn't know the way? This place is under the jurisdiction of Tai'en Prefecture. If you want to go to Chaoning Prefecture, you have to pass through here first. It will take at least two or three days. It's getting late. Go into the city quickly and find an inn to rest. Then set off tomorrow morning."
Well…
Lu Liangsheng stood there in a daze, feeling very bad. According to the place names marked on the map, from the place where he landed, he had to carry the load for at least dozens of miles and also went in the wrong direction.
"Master...what do you say?"
cough…
In the cubicle, Toad coughed several times and looked away.
"Hmm... maybe I am old and I have forgotten it."