The morning light spread over the eastern hills, pushing aside the edge of darkness, and the smoke from the campfire slowly rose. The group, who had packed their luggage, had already walked down the mountain.
The old donkey chewed the tender grass covered with dew, shook the copper bell on its neck, watched the master in front of him gradually walk down the mountain path, shook out his sleeves and clasped his hands.
"You two, Lu Liangsheng will not see you off."
They were all old acquaintances from the Southern Chen period. Now they met in the north, and now they were separated again. There was a hint of reluctance on his face.
On the opposite side, Zuo Zhengyang was wearing a conical hat, holding a knife in one arm, with a salute hanging on his shoulder. He looked the same when Yan Chixia came and when he left, with a thick beard on his chin expanding and he smiled as he bowed.
"There is no place for so much love between young men and women. If there are more evildoers in the future, maybe we can get together again. Goodbye!"
The last two words fell heavily, and he leaped into the forest with the wooden box on his back, leaving to the south. Several flying figures disappeared in the morning sun in the blink of an eye.
Birds flew over the heads of the crowd. Zuo Zhengyang walked with Lu Liangsheng for a while until they reached the official road of the diplomatic circle of Junyang City. There were more and more people coming and going. After walking a little further, he turned around with a long sword on his back and said goodbye.
"Zuo, let's say goodbye here!"
He couldn't offer a salute with one arm, so he nodded to Lu Liangsheng and the Taoist priest: "See you later!"
"Take care of yourself!"
Lu Liangsheng returned the greeting and watched the one-armed swordsman who had entered the ranks of Taoists walk to the pedestrians and merchants. Only when he was out of sight did he pull the reins and walk with the Taoist to a less traveled path. He sat on the old donkey and patted the bookshelf.
"Master, we are ready to go."
In the compartment, Toad Taoist uncovered the small quilt, shook his arms, sat cross-legged, instinctively grabbed the rope and tied it around his waist, pushed open the small door of the bookshelf in a daze, and sat cross-legged.
"Huh~~"
He smacked his lips, looked at the countryside scenery under the bright sunshine, yawned deeply, and waved his flippers casually.
"Let's go!"
However, he quickly added: "Let the donkey run slower, don't make it too bumpy, I feel a little donkey-sick."
Sun Yingxian squatted on a stone by the roadside and spat out the grass roots in her mouth. "Let's go, let's go. We still have to go to Chang'an. My shoes will be worn out. Xiaoxian will probably scold me again when I go back."
On the back of the slowly moving donkey, Lu Liangsheng turned his head and the Taoist smiled awkwardly.
"It costs money..."
Seeing the main character's brother turned back, he curled his lips and muttered: "It's just to satisfy your desire to talk, so what? Anyway, your sister doesn't want to marry out..."
Having said this, the Taoist's eyes suddenly lit up.
'Not marrying outside...'
The sky was high and the clouds were light. It was the hottest days of late summer. Leaving Junyang City and heading south along the mountain path, Mu Qiyu picked a small flower and held it above her head to look at it, smelled it, then spread her skirt and ran to the side of the donkey, pulled Lu Liangsheng's sleeve, and asked with a smile what kind of flower it was.
The old donkey was dragging the bookshelf and swinging its bald tail, walking leisurely with its hooves. The bookshelf was swaying unsteadily. In the open small compartment, the Toad Taoist lit his pipe, tied with a rope, and leaned calmly against the gourd, flipping through the cookbook in his hand, and from time to time he asked what the other party was thinking about. The Taoist grinned foolishly, and when he saw that the other party did not reply, the cookbook flew over and hit him on the head.
The Taoist who picked up the booklet didn't care at all. He was thinking about something with his eyes squinting, which made the old donkey who was looking at him with his head tilted seem to be laughing and let out a long neigh.
The cheerful sound of donkeys echoed in the woods and in the sunshine.
The tinkling sound of copper bells spread through the mountains, out of the territory of Heling Prefecture, and came to the mountain where the little green snake was released before. Unfortunately, there was no trace of evil spirit on the mountain. It was thought that it had left and gone somewhere else.
With nothing to do, he returned to the old pine tree on the top of the mountain. The Taoist and Toad were busy making a fire and cooking. Lu Liangsheng sat back under the tree, looking at the undulating mountains in the east. He took out "Boundless Mountains and Seas" and unfolded it, looking at the palace and pavilion enclosed on it. Until now, he still finds it a little incredible.
Now that the matter of the Qihuo Sect has been resolved, the master's relics are all in the Zishan Temple. After returning, perhaps I can send my soul inside and search again.
'It's a pity that Lujia Village is too small to release it... But if we encounter a fight in the future and suddenly release it, will it have a crushing effect? '
Thinking that this was really possible, Lu Liangsheng couldn't help but shake his head and laugh twice.
"Old Toad, your disciple can be so happy on his own."
The Taoist lit the fire, glanced at the tree and said softly, "Is he stupid?"
Bang!
A small wooden stick was thrown at his face. The toad also glanced at Lu Liangsheng, turned back and stammered: "Cook your rice well. As I said just now, put this mountain spirit in it. It will help heal injuries, enhance a little cultivation, and add a little flavor."
"Hey, old Toad, let's talk, why did you hit someone?"
Sun Yingxian rubbed his face that had just been hit by the stick: "After all, I am also a golden elixir..."
"Golden elixir?" Toad Taoist glanced at him calmly and threw a dry branch into the fire:
"Humph, if I hadn't put these condiments in it for you, you would have to wait seven or eight years for the golden elixir."
The Taoist who wanted to speak again immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word. After lunch, Lu Liangsheng originally wanted to go and see the sea in the east, but when he thought of his mentor's reincarnation, he originally lived in this Gucheng, but his family had moved to the Central Plains. He felt a little uneasy if he didn't take a look at it.
After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go and take a look first.
The sun is hot in late summer, the annoying cicadas are leaving their last traces, and another autumn is coming.
The wind in the forest swayed the branches, the old donkey swayed its mane and made a clanging sound. Mu Qiyu swung the branch in his hand to sweep away the grass, turned around and pointed at the mountains in the distance, smiled and opened her red lips and shouted.
"Old demon, old demon, what does that mountain look like to you?"
The sunlight poured through the branches. In the mottled sunlight, Lu Liangsheng, who was sitting horizontally on the old donkey, raised his head, moved his eyes from the book to the distant mountains, and smiled gently.
"Like a lying cow."
He tilted his head to look at the two short legs hanging outside the bookshelf: "Master, is that right?"
The listless toad yawned, glanced with its half-drooped eyes, ignored it, lazily opened its jacket, lay down sideways with its head propped up, listened to the cicadas chirping, felt the cool breeze, its head swaying with the bookshelf, and dozed off.
The two men and the donkey walked leisurely across the sunshine, heading west towards Chang'an.
The scorching sun gradually tilted along with the human figure. To the west, where the clouds spread, a huge city was bathed in the remaining red of the setting sun. The towering city walls stretched to no end. Busy merchants at the city gate pulled carts and drove livestock for inspection. Pedestrians walked together with their luggage, passing through the majestic city gate. The neat and clean streets were hung with rows of lanterns early in the morning.
Flags were flying at the wine shop. The Hu woman selling wine had half of her belly exposed. She was shaking her slender waist and talking in a seductive way to attract passers-by. The peddler walking the streets looked at the few remaining goods, sat down on the street, wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiled with satisfaction, felt hungry, went to a roadside stall and bought a bowl of steaming wonton and a Hu pancake. When he took the food, he felt the satisfying sensation as they slipped into his stomach.
Amid the hustle and bustle, four scholars carrying bookshelves on their backs squeezed through the crowd, looking around and taking in the night scene of this grand event they had never seen before.
As the sun sets, in the huge city, there are the official residences that once served as the Southern Chen Dynasty. Servants light lanterns and hang them high on the gates of the mansions.