It is already past early autumn, and the autumn atmosphere is getting stronger among the mountains. In the setting sun, pieces of withered yellow leaves are swaying in the mountains and drifting down one after another.
The old donkey, like one walking through a rain curtain, swung its bald tail and stretched out its tongue to lick the fallen dead leaves. The moment its hooves landed, it was already several feet away. Sitting sideways on the slightly undulating donkey's back, Lu Liangsheng was flipping through a book. He took the fruit picked by Hong Lian, took a bite, and tasted the sweet juice and crispy meat.
"Master, would you like a bite?"
In the corner of his eye, he heard a muffled sound of a toad coming from the shaking bookshelf.
“No!”
Lu Liangsheng patted the donkey's head to slow it down, closed the book casually, jumped off the donkey's back, opened the small door of the bookshelf compartment, and handed over the fruit in his hand.
Inside, the Toad Taoist was sitting on the gourd with his short legs drooping, and a circle of bandages was shaking on his white belly, which was caused by the burns from the small pot.
"Are you still angry, Master? I've already said it's not right."
Lu Liangsheng squatted down and handed in some more fruit: "Eat some fruit to calm down. It's sweet and juicy."
"Humph!" Toad Taoist turned in a different direction, "Let me give you a try?"
He glanced at the red fruit in his apprentice's hand, smacked his lips, and moved aside: "Put the fruit down."
Immediately, he stretched out his webbed hands and pulled the small door of the compartment closed with a "click".
Lu Liangsheng withdrew his hand with a smile, stood up and sat back on the donkey, took out the map and looked at it, and let the old donkey continue to move forward. Ever since the battle with Pu Du Ci Hang, his master had become more and more like a child, and would throw a tantrum from time to time.
Although the journey to the Qishan Cave is long, it is a familiar one. As long as there is no delay along the way, with Lu Liangsheng's ability to shorten the distance to an inch and the speed of the old donkey, they can arrive there in one or two days and nights.
Coming out of Qixia Mountain, he headed north and passed Hegu County, then turned and followed the official road through Fulin Prefecture. He stayed in the capital for half an hour, met Min Changwen and his daughter, gave them the invisibility talisman, and taught them how to use it.
He also told Min Yuerou that if things could not be avoided, she should forcibly take Min Changwen away. Given the old man's personality, he would most likely live and die with the city, and the woman was probably aware of this.
Afterwards, he also inquired about Zuo Zhengyang's situation. Unfortunately, he left without saying goodbye a few days ago after recovering from his wounds. Even Min Changwen didn't know where he went.
'The loss of his arm was a huge blow to him, but he managed to get through it. Perhaps now he has embarked on the path of spiritual practice.'
After bidding farewell to the father and daughter, Lu Liangsheng did not go to Chenghuang Yu. He had only met him once and talked to him for a few words. He did not have much friendship with the other party, so it would be a bit abrupt to visit him.
It took a whole day to leave the capital and cross the river to head north. We walked along the mountain foothills where there were fewer people. As we got closer to Mount Qishan, the surrounding mountains and fields became more desolate.
The woods were shaking, and birds were frightened and flew around in the woods between the dead trees on the barren hills. A long column of smoke spread out, and with a faint sound of "whoosh", it stopped under a solitary peak.
The old donkey kicked its hooves breathlessly, and the bookshelf compartments shook. Toad Taoist pushed open the small door, looked at the surrounding scenery, and yawned.
Then, he slid down the rope, stepped on the uneven ground with his flippers, and turned back to say something to his apprentice.
"You know how to open the cave, so go up by yourself. I have something to do, so you don't need to follow me."
After saying this, he put his flippers on his buttocks and swayed towards the dry forest and low hills in the west.
Hong Lian got out of the painting, came to the scholar and asked in a low voice: "Sir, what happened to Master Toad? He seems to be worried."
The Yuelong Sword vibrated a few times and moved out a little from the scabbard.
"Toad is worried, he must be thinking about Goose..."
Bang!
Lu Liangsheng slapped the scabbard and shouted, "Shut up!" Then he pulled Lao Lu and Hong Lian up the mountain. This time they came to select suitable methods of cultivation for their two disciples, Yuwen Tuo and Qu Yuanfeng.
"Master, you have collected so many, I should be able to pick them out."
Entering the master's cave, the brilliant galaxy lit up in the sky, as if walking among the stars. Not far away, the magic weapons, secret books, and elixirs that fell out from another secret space that day were still piled there.
Well…
Looking at the pile of magic weapons, elixirs and books that were taller than him, he covered his forehead and thought, now he has found what he is looking for. No wonder the master didn't come up.
Lu Liangsheng sat down in front of the "hill", picked up a secret book of Dharma, and called out to the back.
"Hong Lian, come and help quickly. We should have let Master come up first..."
The murmuring sound spread outside the cave, the light of the autumn evening fell on the western hilltop, the sound of rustling bushes pushed aside, and the Toad Taoist, carrying a gourd on his back, walked along the rugged mountain to the middle of the mountain.
The soft sunset shone in with dust. In front of the sight, there were rocks everywhere. Under the huge rock protruding from the bare mountain wall, there was a lonely mound of earth. Next to it was a birch tree that he had planted with his own hands. It was now as thick as a person's waist.
The Toad Taoist walked over with his flippers on his back, raised his toad face, and stroked the surface with his flippers. The traces of the words that were carved there in the past had been severely eroded by wind and had long been blurred.
Webbed Head followed the traces of the carving and re-carved the words on the tombstone. After a while, he sat cross-legged with the gourd on his back and smiled at the tombstone.
Said softly.
"I'm back."
After staring at the tombstone for a long time, Toad Taoist pressed his knees with his webbed feet and suddenly laughed out loud.
"I haven't been here for a long time. I've been out there recently, and I've been making waves. Several major sects have joined forces to suppress me, and some low-ranking people have also come. Haha... I'm a person of such stature, how could I let them succeed
However, I have been very busy recently. I have also accepted a disciple who is very smart. At the beginning, I never thought of accepting him. He made me reveal my true colors and almost exploded my demon pill. Fortunately, everything has been overcome. Don't worry, you see, I am sitting here and talking to you...
Last time, I met your father, an old bald donkey, who was long-winded and wanted to be my father-in-law. If it wasn’t for you, he would have had a hard time, hahaha—"
As the setting sun shone over, a toad was smiling proudly at a small grave.
"Time flies so fast... Actually, I know that you may have been reincarnated. It doesn't matter. When I recover my cultivation, I will go to the City God to ask where you are. If I can't find out, I will destroy the City God Temple, go to Mount Tai, and get into the underworld to find the Book of Life and Death!"
He kept on talking for a while, with some boasting in his voice. After a while, the Toad Taoist patted his butt and got up from the ground.
"I have to go check on my apprentice now. I'm worried about him. I'll come back to see you when I have time."
Then he left this place, and after talking a lot, he was in a very happy mood, walking briskly, jumping a few times from time to time, and returned along the way he came.