The old man's straightforward words made Lu Liangsheng stand there in a daze. The toad that had just wanted to go out of the small door put down its raised webbed feet and couldn't help but tilt its head to stick to the crack of the door.
The rustling sound of the old camphor tree in the courtyard could be heard in the quiet house. Lu Liangsheng came back to his senses, chuckled twice, and quickly asked Min Changwen to sit down. He took the cleaned tea set on the table, added water to it, put it in his palm, heated it up in a moment, and brought it to the old man.
"Mr. Minister, why are you suddenly talking about this?"
Lu Liangsheng felt a little awkward about the marriage, and he didn't know whether to sit or stand. Fortunately, the old man didn't think much of it. On the contrary, he enthusiastically asked him to sit down and talk. He coughed and said softly:
"Let's not talk about anything else for now, my dear nephew. Your mentor is nominally my staff member, but we have known each other for many years and have become as close as brothers. It is reasonable for you to call me uncle."
Lu Liangsheng nodded. When he was in Fushui County, he was familiar with Min Changwen. They went all the way to the capital and then to Chang'an. Min Changwen was considered his elder.
The old man had said this, and if he continued to be pretentious, it would seem artificial, so he stood up and bowed without hesitation.
"uncle."
"Hey." Min Changwen stroked his beard with a smile, stretched out his hands, asked Lu Liangsheng to sit down, and continued: "Since you are an elder, then I have something to say."
Well…
Just as Lu Liangsheng expected, they first tried to get closer to each other and then talked about business. It was really a trap set in front of him.
"Uncle, please speak."
The old man looked at the scholar sitting upright with his head slightly lowered, probably thinking that the scholar was shy, so he smiled even more sincerely and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.
"Well, uncle will say that you are not. Liangsheng is now over 20 years old. Men of your age, children are probably sitting in private schools studying aloud, but Liangsheng is still alone. Although you practice Taoism and cultivate your mind, and comprehend the wonderful ways of immortals, you are still a human being. After reading so many words of saints, you should also know that human relations are important matters."
"Uncle, it's not Liangsheng..."
Lu Liangsheng wanted to interrupt, but the old man waved his hand and interrupted: "Listen to your uncle first." He tapped his fingers on the table twice and continued:
"If you don't marry and have children, it means that you will end the sacrifice to your Lu family's ancestors. It doesn't matter if you can achieve immortality or fly, you won't have children!
The two elders who gave birth to you and raised you passed away without ever enjoying the joy of a happy family life... Well... I have always spoken directly, even in front of the Emperor, so don't take it to heart.
... And in the future, no one will come to worship at the graves of the two elders. It will be lonely. Will you feel sad then?"
The old man used "filial piety" as an excuse, which made Lu Liangsheng unable to refute. Before he practiced Taoism, his family was poor and his parents were already arranging for him to get married. Now that his family is much better off, they are more urgent for him to get married. If he hadn't told his mother that Hong Lian would cultivate into a physical body, he would probably not even dare to go home now.
"Liang Sheng?"
Seeing that the scholar was frowning and keeping silent, the old man called him and tapped the table with his fingertips: "Liangsheng, I have found someone for you. As long as you give your nod, we can get married tonight."
"No, no, uncle, let's forget what you said."
Lu Liangsheng waved his hands hurriedly. If it were anyone else, it would not matter if he just turned around and left, but the old man treated him very well and had seen countless people, so it was not something he could get away with by just saying a few words.
After thinking about it, I decided it would be better to just make things clear.
The last rays of dusk fell outside, the sky darkened, and Lu Liangsheng lit the lamp.
"What my uncle thinks is what I also think, but as a Taoist, my life span is very long, and I cannot live with ordinary people until old age and spend the rest of my life together..."
As they were talking, he sat down again opposite the old man and poured him some tea.
"… Even if I leave behind a child, my wife will have to watch her grow old while I remain as young as I was back then. I'm afraid both of us will feel bad. Wouldn't it be sad if we came together but die separately?"
On the other end, after listening to Lu Liangsheng's concerns, Min Changwen pursed his lips and nodded, not knowing what to say.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps outside woke the old man up.
'Huh...'
Min Changwen exhaled lightly, stood up and bowed, then walked outside and saw Wang Banxia, who had lived in the mansion for a few days, and a young man in casual clothes with his hair hanging down to cover his face. He roughly guessed who it was, turned around and said to the scholar who was seeing him off at the door with a smile:
"I understand what Liangsheng meant. Alas, it's just that my idiot son is suffering. Uncle, I won't bother you. Come over and have dinner with us later."
"yes."
Lu Liangsheng cupped his hands and watched the old man walk out of the crescent-shaped door. Then he turned and walked into the house. Wang Banxia, who had changed his clothes and was wearing a fine silk robe, quickly waved to the young man behind him.
"Second Junior Brother, come in and greet Master."
The figure following behind was dressed in ordinary clothes. He walked into the lighted room and smoothed down his hair that was covering his face. It was Yuwen Tuo. He was a member of the royal family of the previous dynasty, so naturally he could not openly enter and leave the residence of the surrendered ministers of the Southern Chen Dynasty, so he was dressed like this.
"Taku greets the Master!"
Yuwen Tuo raised his hands and faced the bookshelf again, pushing open the small door and coming out toad Taoist who was stretching himself: "Greetings, Master."
"Don't be polite, just sit anywhere."
The Toad Taoist waved his webbed feet, yawned, and looked around: "Hey, where's that pig demon? Where did it go?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him come out since I entered the courtyard."
Lu Liangsheng sat on the edge of the bed and accepted the greetings from his two disciples. After replying to his master, he asked Wang Banxia and Yuwen Tuo to come and sit down.
"Master, how is Yuan Feng? I heard from the battle report from the front that Junior Brother... died for the country?"
Yuwen Tuo, who had just sat down, stood up and looked at his master opposite him worriedly. Old Man Wang beside him also agreed: "Yes, Master, how is Yuan Feng? I have calculated it several times and it was always a falling star, but when I calculated it today, it became vague and uncertain."
"Nothing happened."
Lu Liangsheng told the two of them the whole story of how he rescued Yuanfeng and how he went to Mount Li to seek an audience with the old mother of Mount Li. Yuwen Tuo had always been on good terms with Qu Yuanfeng, and when he heard that his body could be restored, his clenched fists gradually loosened.
Wang Banxia, who was standing by, had not yet recovered from the shock of his master seeing the gods when he heard Lu Liangsheng speak.
"I called you here tonight for no other reason than to tell you not to let the matter of Yuan Feng ruin your mood. Master is here for you. Just follow your own path with peace of mind, especially Yuwen Tuo."
The scholar looked at the disciple who was the reincarnation of Kunlun Mirror and said, "You are arrogant, but I know that you are just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Yuanfeng and you have known each other for a long time. We both became my disciples and grew up together. I am worried that you will get angry and do something crazy. When I met the Old Mother of Mount Li, she warned me that it is not advisable for a cultivator to interfere in human affairs. So, you must not be reckless and don't learn from me."
"Yes, disciple will definitely follow Master's teachings!" Yuwen Tuo stood up and bowed.
Lu Liangsheng had explained everything that needed to be said. All that was left was to go to Liangjie Mountain to see the divine monkey that was trapped under the mountain, and then come back to report to the Old Mother of Mount Li and take back Yuan Feng.
"Now that things are arranged properly, I feel much better."
After seeing off the two disciples, he returned to the gate of the villa, where the steward of the Min Mansion was already waiting, inviting him to the backyard for dinner.
"The boss should leave first!"
Lu Liangsheng waved his robe sleeves lightly and walked behind, letting the other party lead the way. He had been to the backyard before, and walked through the corridor hung with lanterns. The maids and servants in the mansion that he met on the way bowed to him one by one.
On this side, the scholars also responded with a smile. This was his courtesy, regardless of status.
Walking all the way to the central hall in the backyard, there was indeed a table of dishes prepared, and the maids serving the dishes were busy coming in and out. Min Changwen was drinking tea when he saw Lu Liangsheng come in. He stood up with a smile and invited him to sit at the table and have a meal together.
"We had originally prepared a sumptuous meal, but for some reason, a lot of it was missing, so we had to ask the kitchen to prepare some home-cooked dishes."
"It's okay. Simple food and simple food can fill your stomach."
Not long after, Min Yuerou and Madam Min also came out from the back hall. The woman's eyes were a little red and wet, as if she had been crying. She didn't even look at Lu Liangsheng during the meal, and the scholar didn't ask any more questions.
The old man over there no longer talked about marriage. What he talked about most was the court and the government affairs at hand. Occasionally, he would ask the two Lu Liangsheng about the interesting anecdotes in their spiritual practice.
After dinner, Lu Liangsheng chatted with the old man for a while before saying goodbye and returning to the courtyard. Zhu Ganglie had come back at some point and was lying on the top of the old camphor tree, soundly sleeping.
Pushing the door open and entering the room, Toad Taoist threw off the quilt and climbed up, ran to the bookshelf to get out the rooster bowl, sat down at the table, wiped the chopsticks elegantly, and tied on an apron.
"Bring it to me quickly..." Seeing the bowl in front of him, he narrowed his eyes immediately: "Why are there only vegetarian dishes? Where are my braised pork, steamed carp, and roast goose?"
Lu Liangsheng pointed outside.
"It was eaten by the old pig."
"Damn it!" The Toad Taoist put down his chopsticks heavily, jumped off the table, untied his apron and threw it on the ground, walked out of the room angrily, ran to the camphor tree, looked up at the fat figure sleeping soundly on the treetop and shouted.
"Come down here, old man—"
"If you have the guts to steal food, come down and fight me, I will stew you!"
"Come down! Damn it!"
…
Hearing his master yelling and cursing outside, Lu Liangsheng shook his head, picked up a book from the bedside, and read it while lying on the bed in the dim light.
Outside, there were rustling footsteps.
Lu Liangsheng raised his head and looked at the door. The door was open and Min Yuerou was standing there with red eyes and a bowl of soup in her hand.
"Today's meal is a bit simple. I was afraid that you didn't have enough, so I asked the chef to make it again."
Alas~
Lu Liangsheng closed the book, took the lotus seed soup from the woman and put it on the table. Before he could speak, Min Yuerou spoke first.
"My father told me that, but I don't care... I really don't care."
"Yue Rou."
Looking at her expression, the scholar calmed down, put the soup aside, and his mind raced, and he immediately came up with the idea of politely declining.
She whispered, "In fact, it's not just what I said to Master Min today... There is one more thing. If I want to get married, I must get my master's consent."
"Your master?"
Min Yuerou was stunned for a moment. She had never seen Lu Liangsheng's master, let alone who he was.
"Then... where is your master?"
"It's not about where, um... He once said that the way he practices should be passed down from generation to generation, and only when he dies can we get married..."
Outside, the cursing Toad stopped shouting and looked at the man and woman in the house, who sat down with their flippers in their arms, cursing.
"That motherfucker, this can even involve me..."
Inside the room, Min Yuerou pursed her red lips, wiped the wet marks from the corners of her eyes, turned her skirt, turned around and strode away.
Seeing the woman leave without a word, Lu Liangsheng thought she had given up and breathed a sigh of relief. He lay down to sleep. After being tired for a long time, he still felt comfortable lying on the couch.
'It's better to leave early tomorrow morning.'
Thinking about it, he blew out the light, rested his head on the pillow, and fell into a drowsy sleep. The next morning, before daybreak, the maid who came to deliver breakfast knocked on the door. There was no one in the room. The bedding was neatly folded on the bed, and a farewell note was left on the round table beside him.
Uncle:
The path of cultivation is long, and saving my disciple is a heavy burden on my mind. I cannot think about matters between men and women. I am leaving a letter today. I hope my uncle will not mind. I will come to your house to apologize after I save my disciple...
When Min Changwen saw the letter, he walked to the courtyard with regret, looked at the morning light shining down, and sighed softly.
"master!"
Soon, a maid came running over, panting and pointing in the direction of the backyard.
"The young lady is missing."
"What?!"
…
The morning light spread, passing through the hustle and bustle of the city, and pushed to the western foot of Chang'an. Amid the chirping of cicadas and birds, Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey with the bookshelf hanging on it, and went along the mountain ridge with Zhu Ganglie towards Hezhou.