The mountain breeze sways the forest, making a rustling sound.
In the dark sky, the fire in the attic was extinguished. The remaining smoke swirled in the wind and drifted away from the mountain. Torches gathered at the foot of the mountain and people shouted and yelled.
"It's right here!" "Look, there's smoke coming out from above!"
"The gods said this must be the place. Whoever would build a temple here in the wilderness must be an evil person!"
"Quick, the ladder is ready, let's go up and take a look!"
Flames flickered, and the county magistrate in the front, wearing official uniform, received a message from the gods and organized people to rush to the mountain. It was already early morning and almost dawn. If there had not been a fire burning on the top of the mountain in the dark, they might not have found this place.
"Stop talking nonsense and go save them!"
The county magistrate waved his hand and sent dozens of yamen runners over. On the steep cliff, the mountain folks who were good at climbing fixed a soft ladder to the tree above and made a gesture to the people below, indicating that they could come up.
"superior!"
The climbing yamen runner carried a knife on his back and climbed up with gritted teeth to meet the needs of his colleagues below. Soon, most of the people had gathered and rushed to the gate of the stele.
Tap tap tap…
The sound of footsteps galloped across the white rock paved floor. Once inside, I was stunned by the corridors, waterside pavilions, and flower garden pavilions. If it weren't for the charred wooden building that was still emitting green smoke, this place would be no different from a paradise on earth.
"Look around! Quick!"
The leader of the police held the knife handle at his waist and loudly commanded the runners to disperse, "Search every inch along the way. The immortal said there are women and children here, so they must be there."
After walking a few steps, the captain of the police looked around in the light of the torch in the hands of his confidant and suddenly stopped.
"painting?"
He bent over and picked up a scroll that was cut in the middle. The ferocious beasts on it were lifelike. Just one look at it made the captain feel a chill.
"It must be something left behind when the immortal fought with the evil people here... Hmm? Lu Liangsheng? I seem to have heard of this name somewhere."
Things like this are hard to come by in the world. The captain looked around, rolled up the scroll and put it in his arms. At this time, the yamen runners who were searching also made quite a few gains.
Someone leaned out from the wooden building and shouted:
"Found it. There are many women and children trapped in pottery jars!"
The scattered officers gathered around. The captain quickened his pace, pushed aside the two people blocking the way in front of him, and strode up to the second floor with his knife handle pressed down. He saw his constables carrying children or women out of jars one by one. There were at least hundreds of such pottery jars around.
"It must have been done by someone who worships evil! Quickly notify the county magistrate at the foot of the mountain and send some civilians up!"
"yes!"
The detectives in official uniforms started moving, running in the direction they came from, shouting their findings loudly to those down the mountain. Soon, more people climbed up the ladders and helped tie the children or women up on their backs, sending them to the foot of the mountain one by one.
"What's the point of staying in such a filthy place?"
The county magistrate was also a man who hated evil. Looking at the unconscious children and girls, he ordered the constables who were still upstairs to burn down the temple.
The crackling flames lit up the wooden building, illuminating the dark sky in the early morning. On a neighboring mountain, Lu Liangsheng blinked, looked away, and finally felt relieved.
"Master, we can go now..."
The scholar stood up, supporting himself with his arms that were burned black by the magic fire, and walked back into the woods. A bonfire was burning the bottom of the pot, cooking rice. The Toad Taoist priest was sitting cross-legged on one side, his eyes fixed on the woman in a black dress who had her hands and feet tied under a tree not far away.
Hong Lian squatted beside the woman, propped up her chin and watched for a while, then tilted her head and asked, "Master Toad, how could she be caught so easily after thousands of years of cultivation, and... with such a silly expression."
The woman with her hands and feet tied was lying on the ground with her eyes open, confused. Her tight dress revealed her slim and curvy figure, and she lay there motionless.
"Hmm... maybe he was sealed in a box by the Fire Prayer Cult, which damaged his soul."
The firelight reflected on the red toad's face. The Toad Taoist hugged his webbed feet and looked at his returning disciple, raising his chin slightly.
“Hmph… Think about how powerful I was in the past. I was surrounded by dozens of major sects, but my soul was never hurt. This tree demon with only a thousand years of cultivation is not even worthy of carrying my shoes.”
"Master, last time you said there were only a few..."
Lu Liangsheng sat by the fire with his upper body naked. His clothes were burned last night and he had nothing else to wear, so he had no choice but to sit there naked.
He scooped three bowls of porridge and rice and sprinkled the chopped meat on them.
"After dinner, let's go and settle down in Jinzhou first. Since we promised Yang Su, we can't break our promise. After that... let's just go back to Southern Chen. I've been out for so long and I'm a little homesick."
"Well... okay."
Toad sat cross-legged on the ground, looking at the small porcelain bowl in front of him, "My master's things are probably also placed somewhere else by that Ming Zun. When I recover my cultivation, I will ask him to settle the matter..."
Having said this, he saw the diced meat scattered and his tone suddenly changed.
"More diced meat, more!"
The diced meat fell down and passed through Toad Taoist's eyes. The corners of his mouth cracked with excitement, and then... a slender black shadow stretched out and wrapped around the falling diced meat.
The Toad Taoist opened his mouth, where is the meat
He slowly turned his head and saw the woman in black dress lying under the tree over there blinking her eyes, and a scarlet tongue licked the corner of her mouth.
The toad opened its mouth, stuck out its long tongue, looked around, and then looked at the other party.
…That’s her mother.
Is this how you use the roots? You are a tree demon, not a toad! !
Over there, the woman in the black dress sat up, and watching the Toad Taoist sticking out his tongue, she also stretched out her long tongue, dancing in the air, and it could split into several strands, like long and thin red snakes.
At the side, an old donkey that was chewing grass came over happily and stuck out its tongue, rolling it around in its mouth.
It's like meeting a worthy opponent.
“That’s enough!”
The corner of Toad Taoist's mouth twitched, he retracted his tongue, slapped the ground and shouted, then turned in another direction with the small bowl in his hand:
"Have a meal!"
The scholar looked at his deflated master and smiled. He had probably figured out the origins of the woman in black dress since he came here. She was a tree demon that the Fire Praying Sect had captured using some unknown method. However, her mind was damaged and many of her memories were not intact. She looked stupid and dull. However, she might have been like this before, otherwise she would not have been captured.
The long tongue in the mouth is actually the countless roots seen in the box before.
"I just don't know how to deal with this tree demon..."
Lu Liangsheng also felt a little troubled. He couldn't just kill him, right? If he let him go and ignored him, it would be troublesome if he was found by the Qihuo Cult again.
"Forget it, just keep it with you for now. Let's go to Jinzhou first and talk about it later."
The mountain breeze was blowing gently, the morning light was spreading across the foothills, the luggage and bookshelves were packed up, Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey westward, walked through the mountains and forests, the sun bathed his face, occasionally lowered his head to look at the map in his hand, turned a corner, and continued on his way.
In the bookshelf compartment, Toad followed the old donkey and swayed. She propped up her chin and glared at the black-skirted tree demon who was being led by a rope. The latter looked around curiously and found that Toad was looking at her. She stuck out her tongue and moved it in and out of her lips...
The old donkey turned his head, stuck out his tongue and shook it.
“Don’t learn it!”
Amid the loud shouts of the toad and the little tune hummed by Hong Lian, they walked through the mountain path and the woods, passing through the morning sunshine in a lively manner.