“Tanghulu, delicious and beautiful Tanghulu!”
"Cooked pancakes, these are made by my wife herself, and they are still hot!"
"Northwest mutton steamed buns are guaranteed to be genuine. Even if the taste is not right, you still have to pay for it..."
There are a lot of people walking around, just like a busy city.
Merchants traveling north from Ningxia Town, leading cows and horses, camped outside the city, gathering in circles to exchange news. At roadside stalls, vendors banged on the edges of their pots and shouted loudly to attract business. There were also women doing the flesh trade who quietly took their patrons to the distant woods, causing the people around them who knew the business to laugh and scold.
A mixed bag.
"Choose the good ones to learn."
Lu Liangsheng took a sip of tea and tapped the table with the tips of his chopsticks. Li Suian and Qu Yuanfeng, who were looking around, quickly turned their heads back. Only Yuwen Tuo on the right chewed his food slowly, not paying any attention to the excitement outside.
In the tea stall, the busy waiter dragged a wooden tray over and placed plates of side dishes on the table, and finally put down the main dishes. The sound became loud, attracting the side glances of guests at the neighboring tables.
"Four gentlemen, this is the half roasted goose you ordered. It took a long time to roast. When you came, the feathers were all gone and the fat was overflowing. My goose is the most authentic in Shangyong City."
Compared with long-distance outdoor roadside stalls, Shangyong City is often a gathering place for business travelers traveling from the south and the north. Tea stalls like this mostly also serve as restaurants, so naturally there are more dishes.
"Haha, you are very eloquent, please introduce the dishes to us."
Lu Liangsheng put down his chopsticks and bowed, then took out a few copper coins from his sleeve and put them in the waiter's hand. The waiter smiled and took the small bag from the belt around his waist.
He probably understood what was meant and approached the guest who had given him the tip.
"Does the guest have anything else to ask?"
"Indeed."
Asking for directions happens all the time, and there is no need to hide it. Lu Liangsheng knows that in places like this, the guys who have a lot of traffic often have more information.
"The four of us want to go to Ziling Mountain. I wonder if you have heard of this mountain nearby or in other states?"
"This..." The waiter frowned, thought for a moment, and shook his head: "The place name you asked about is a bit off. As far as I know, there is no mountain nearby with such an elegant name."
"Young man, why don't you think about it again?"
At this time, guests at other tables asked the waiter to order more dishes. Lu Liangsheng didn't want to force him to stay, so he asked him to go and do his work first and he could talk to him later when he remembered.
"Okay then, the four guests, please eat first, and I will come over later."
The waiter put down a rag, picked up the wooden tray and went to the table that had been called. He brought the dishes and hurriedly greeted the new customers. His hands and feet were quite quick and he didn't delay either side.
The teahouse was bustling with activity. Li Sui'an and Qu Yuanfeng ate Hu bing with tea, occasionally tearing off a piece of goose meat and stuffing it into their mouths, enjoying the sweet taste.
On the side, Yuwen Tuo put down his chopsticks and asked, "When will Master let the three of us leave to practice on our own?"
Hearing this, Li Sui'an and the other man stopped chewing and looked at their master on the other side.
Lu Liangsheng put down his teacup and thought for a moment. He had said before that after leaving Lanruo Temple, he would let the three of them go and gain some experience on their own. But he was so busy thinking about how to deal with the Qihuo Sect that he forgot about the matter.
"Well... If you hadn't said it, I would have almost forgotten about it. How about this, when we leave Shangyong, you three will share some money for your journey. As for where to go, it's up to you to decide how long you want to train. If you encounter any difficulty on the way, you can use the magic weapon I gave you to communicate so that you can know the direction."
Upon hearing that he could travel and gain experience alone, Li Sui'an forgot to eat the Hu cake and just stared at the tea on the table and laughed. Qu Yuanfeng stroked the short beard growing on his chin and looked at Yuwen Tuo. The friendship between the two had continued since they were still with the fat monk. Since they came together, they would definitely go together, probably to Chang'an with Yuwen Tuo.
Afterwards, after the meal, Lu Liangsheng asked for a package of roast goose and some pancakes, and the waiter came over to settle the bill.
"A total of sixty-eight coins. By the way, sir, I don't know the location of what you asked before, but I asked other customers in the store indirectly, and a merchant did know. He said it was in the northeast of Helingzhou, close to the sea, about a thousand miles away."
The waiter took a look at the person in front of him. He was carrying a long sword. Except for a young man with a long beard and a strong build, the other three did not look like they could travel far, especially since they came with an old donkey that was losing its hair, which made it even more impossible for them to walk such a long distance.
"You four want to visit the famous mountains, why do you have to go so far? It's a long way, and there's no telling what dangers there might be along the way."
"Thank you for your kind reminder, little brother."
After settling the bill, Lu Liangsheng took the packaged roast goose and Hu pancakes in his hands, put them on the bookshelf, bowed to the waiter who came to the entrance of the shed to solicit customers and was also seeing them off, then took the reins and led the old donkey around the busy official road and walked eastward to the sparsely populated path in the woods.
With a wave of his hand, he removed the illusion on the donkey's back and let Sun Yingxian, who was tied up like a dumpling, down. Lu Liangsheng opened the roast goose and Hu pancake wrapped in lotus leaves and placed them on a stone, then waved casually at the Taoist priest.
The rope slid to the ground by itself. Sun Yingxian quickly spat out the cloth in her mouth and rubbed her arm: "You are so right..."
He stuffed the torn roast goose into his mouth to stop him from talking. Lu Liangsheng took the remaining half and walked to the bookshelf. The Toad Taoist had already tied an apron on and was sitting cross-legged in the compartment waiting.
"Put it down quickly."
Toad took out the powdered seasoning and sprinkled it on the top, sniffed it hard, and stretched out his webbed feet, "Don't worry about me, Master. Liangsheng, go and do your work."
Then, he slammed the small door shut.
Lu Liangsheng smiled and stood up, looking at his apprentice over there, took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Yuwen Tuo: "When we part, divide the silver with the two junior brothers, and I won't say anything to say goodbye. Just remember, don't do anything wrong outside and kill people, otherwise don't mention my name in front of outsiders."
It is not a separation of life and death. The three of them have their own cultivation and can handle ordinary things by themselves. Besides, only by letting go can these three disciples be tempered.
"I have taught you everything that a teacher should teach you. In the future, you will have to rely on yourselves to practice."
As he spoke, Lu Liangsheng waved his hand.
"You also know the art of shrinking the earth into an inch. If you miss Qixia Mountain, come and stay for a few days and find your own way."
Yuwen Tuo looked at the purse which was still warm in his hand, with a hesitant expression on his cold face.
"Master, regarding the Fire Praying Sect..."
Li Sui'an also nodded: "Yes, Master, although I am eager to enter the martial arts world right now, it's your business."
"You have no right to interfere in my affairs." Lu Liangsheng smiled. He was naturally happy to hear his disciple say these words. As for the affairs of the Qihuo Sect, he would not let these three disciples who had just gained some skills get involved. He, Lu Liangsheng, also knew how to protect his reputation.
"No need to say more."
There were few pedestrians on the road, and when no one was passing by, Lu Liangsheng waved the sleeves of his robe in front of the three people. Yuwen Tuo and others, who were about to speak to persuade them, suddenly felt their vision blurred. The surrounding scenery was spinning, and their bodies moved lightly. When their vision stabilized and became clear, they had already arrived in other directions of Shangyong City.
The three of them looked at each other, sighed, divided the money, and loaded their respective bags. Li Sui'an was a free and easy-going person. He raised his wide sleeves and bowed to his two fellow disciples.
He turned and walked eastward in a very casual manner, probably wanting to go back and see his aunt first.
After watching him leave, Yuwen Tuo and Qu Yuanfeng also picked up their bags and headed north with their magic swords. He wanted to go back to visit his relatives and find out the cause of his parents' death.
…
The sky was bright. Lu Liangsheng sat down next to the Taoist who was eating voraciously, with his hands on his knees. He listened to the annoying cicadas' chirping, and his heart became even calmer.
"Actually, you are reluctant to part with it." The Taoist priest with a Hu pancake in his mouth muttered.
Lu Liangsheng looked at the spots of light shining through the gaps between the branches and leaves, and smiled in the spots.
"I can't bear to let you go. We've lived together for three years, so there's bound to be feelings for each other. It's okay to leave, a young bird will eventually leave the nest, and only after shedding its soft feathers can it spread its wings and fly high."
After resting for a while, he took a deep breath, released the emotion of separation, and patted the Taoist on the shoulder.
"Let's go. It's time for us to get on the road. It's a long journey, and there may be many strange things along the way."
"Let's go together!"
The Taoist smiled with his pointed face. He jumped onto the old donkey's back, sat down next to the scholar, took out a magical yellow talisman, and stuck it on the donkey's buttocks.
The old donkey, which was still chewing grass, opened its eyes wide and raised its head, neighing loudly, then spread its hooves as if frightened, and a long trail of smoke rolled up, drifting away the bright sunshine.
The bookshelf shook suddenly, and half a piece of roast goose suddenly hit the Toad Taoist's mouth, making his head expand twice.
"That woman's..."
Blurred curses were faintly heard along with the galloping old donkey.