The scorching sun shone through the green fields at the foot of the mountain, casting mottled rays of light on the mountain path. Amid the cicadas' chirping, the sound of tinkling copper bells slowly came from the foot of the mountain.
The scholar, the black man, and an old donkey followed behind them walked up the stone steps.
The flags carrying "Fengzi Tea" were fluttering outside the tea shed. A woman in a yellow dress politely thanked the waiter who had seen her off. When she saw the two people and the donkey coming up, she smiled but said nothing. The scholar who was walking along the mountain, his lips trembled slightly, and he suddenly burst into tears with a "wow", holding a rag to his chest, and ran back to the teahouse crying heartbreakingly.
Wow wow —
After the crying sound faded away, Lu Liangsheng took a long time to react and figure out what was going on. He shook his head with a wry smile, then led the old donkey and followed the woman in the yellow skirt.
"It is a great fortune for the girl to stay with my mother. Why bother to play tricks on a mortal and make him sad?"
The woman was carrying a teapot, walking in front without looking back, and whispered:
"It's better to be sad than to be infatuated. If we can't be together, why bother asking for it? Mr. Lu, do you think I'm right?"
These words made Lu Liangsheng feel something, and he couldn't help but think of Min Yuerou. People who practice Taoism spend a long time together, and even if they get together, they may not be able to stay together for their entire lives.
Before the scholar could speak, Zhu Ganglie at the side interrupted, trotting after the woman, nodding repeatedly.
"The Bodhisattva is right, right! That's what I, Old Pig, think."
Amid the sound of cicadas, as they passed the stone steps halfway up the mountain, the number of travelers passing by gradually decreased and the path became increasingly desolate. Gradually, no human figures could be seen. Lu Liangsheng followed the woman in yellow to the mountain wall they had been to before. This time, he did not need to salute and followed her straight through the mountain wall, arriving at another world where the Mother of Mount Li was.
Butterflies were flying and dancing around the sea of flowers. In the distance, there were outlines of mountains. In the clouds, cranes were singing and their wings were spread out, leaving a trail in the mist.
"Master, Old Pig, wait for me here."
Lu Liangsheng turned around and gave a word of instruction to Toad Taoist and Zhu Ganglie who were peeking out from the small door of the compartment, then followed the woman to the green forest, shook his wide sleeves, and bowed respectfully towards the forest.
"Lu Liangsheng pays respect to my mother. I have returned from Liangjie Mountain."
There was no movement in the green forest ahead; the branches were just swaying and rustling in the wind. For a moment, the old woman's voice, which only Lu Liangsheng could hear, sounded gentle and kind in his ears.
"How is my brother doing down the mountain?"
Should I tell the truth? Or should I tell my mother the monkey's comforting words
Lu Liangsheng was in a dilemma. If he told the truth, he didn't know if it would arouse the anger of the old mother of Mount Li. After thinking for a while, he reorganized his words and said:
"Mother, the Monkey King is being tortured in the mountains, he has no freedom, he is lonely and miserable, but I still want to tell you that he is living a good life, he is free from illness, disaster and worries, he also said that when he is freed in the future, he will let me take him to see the fireworks of the world and enjoy peace and prosperity."
"This monkey..."
Amid the green woods, the Old Mother of Mount Li uttered a voice that was unclear whether it was happy or sad.
"… If I had thought of this earlier, I wouldn't have ended up like this, Lu Liangsheng…"
Hearing his name being called, the scholar spoke calmly, cupped his hands, and listened quietly to the old woman's next words.
"… Your disciple's body has recovered. Go and take him back. Remember not to interfere in the affairs of the human dynasty again, and don't tell others that you came to me for help."
"Liangsheng, thank you Ziyuanjun."
Hearing that Qu Yuanfeng was fine, Lu Liangsheng did not dare to be negligent and bowed again respectfully. After all, more courtesy is better, and a little respect will not lose any meat, and maybe he can even establish a good relationship.
"etc."
Just as he was about to follow the woman in yellow and leave, the voice of the Old Mother of Mount Li came again.
“Good fortune and misfortune coexist. If you encounter difficulties on your journey, remember your original intention and you will gain something. Make good use of the boundless mountains and seas. Don’t let down the people who planted the trees before you. Karma will continue. Go ahead.”
What does this mean, mother
Lu Liangsheng bowed and thought about what the woman in yellow said. He turned around and looked at Cuilin with confusion in his eyes.
"Are you warning me?"
Arriving at the cold mountain spring pond, in the dust-washing pool, the cold water was calm, wisps of white mist diffused and intertwined around the stone platform, nourishing the body lying on it all the time.
Lu Liangsheng cast a spell to control water and walked over the water. On the stone platform, his disciple's face regained its former rosy complexion, his dark skin became a little lighter, and his chest and abdomen rose and fell slightly, indicating that his body and soul had merged.
Perhaps sensing a familiar breath, he closed his eyes tightly and trembled slightly, then slowly opened them. Seeing his master in front of him, Qu Yuanfeng stammered weakly.
"Master..."
"Don't talk, close your eyes and continue to rest, so as not to develop a root cause of illness."
Lu Liangsheng stretched out his finger and tapped lightly on his apprentice's brow. Qu Yuanfeng, who was about to speak, opened his mouth, closed his eyes, tilted his head to the side, and fell asleep.
"Shrink!"
With a pinch of his fingers, the body lying on the stone platform shrank rapidly to the size of a palm, which was visible to the naked eye. The scholar picked him up and put him in his sleeve pocket, then returned to the shore, passed by the woman and saluted her.
"It's done, please send us out, young lady."
"Mr. Lu, please."
The woman in yellow bowed her head and walked in front to lead the way. Soon, she returned to Zhu Ganglie and Toad Taoist who were waiting in the sea of flowers.
"Liangsheng, how is your disciple?" The Toad Taoist priest, with bandages all over his body, stood on the old donkey's head and poked his head out.
Lu Liangsheng patted his wide sleeves and held the sleeping Qu Yuanfeng in his hands. Only then did Toad feel relieved. With the bow on his bandaged head swaying, he smacked his lips and turned back to the bookshelf compartment.
"That's good. After all, you are my disciple, so I hope you are okay."
Here, Lu Liangsheng said goodbye to the woman, and when he left, he bowed to Cuilin Fangxin. He called Zhu Ganglie, who was still trying to get close to the woman, and pulled the old donkey out of this world and returned to the side outside the Lishan Old Mother Temple.
The skylight was tilted, and the burning incense in the cauldron slowly rose above the hall. Smoke lingered, and travelers came and went chatting and laughing. Vendors shouted snacks and sold incense, candles, money and paper. Lu Liangsheng watched everything with a happy mood.
'The atmosphere of the world makes people happy wherever they go.'
Thinking that his disciple had been rescued, he should return to Mount Qixia, so he talked about it with his master in the compartment and Zhu Ganglie who came with him. The two demons naturally had no objection. One wanted to rush back to repair his injuries, while the other was still thinking about the scholar painting a portrait of Yue'er wearing thin clothes for him.
"Then let's go, what are we waiting for?"
"Yes, Liangsheng, if you stay any longer, I'm afraid you'll be seriously injured..."
When Toad thought about his recent injury and how he was not recovering as quickly as before, he felt a chill down his spine, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Okay, then let's go to Chang'an and tell Yuwen Tuo."
Lu Liangsheng packed up his clothes, and while it was still light, he took the reins and went down the mountain. When he passed by the teahouse, he saw tears in the corners of the eyes of the waiter, but he was fine now. He was busy serving tea, so he probably didn't have time to be sad for him. It wouldn't take long for him to forget about it.
…
It was only a walk of twenty or thirty miles from Mount Li to Chang'an, so they could probably catch up before the city gate. After going down the mountain, the road became flat, so Lu Liangsheng was no longer in a hurry. He walked and chatted with the black man who was transformed from a pig demon towards the city gate.
The setting sun came like a tide, burning the western clouds red and casting a layer of crimson over the huge city in the distance.
Wow—wow wow—
A few crows flew across the setting sun and landed on a solitary tree near the road. They stood on the treetop and neighed, looking at the two people and a donkey passing by below. Then they turned their eyes and looked in the farther direction. A streak of light streaked across the sky.
Then, more lights came one after another, as if they were invisible to ordinary people.
The old donkey stopped uneasily and pulled the reins. Lu Liangsheng also felt the flow of magic power. He raised his head, and a ray of magic light passed through his eyes and landed silently at the end of the official road.
An old man with a Taoist bun and a dark Taoist robe, with gray hair and a stern look in his eyes, walked past the travelers and vendors as if no one was around, and looked at Lu Liangsheng.
He raised his sleeves expressionlessly and bowed.
"I am from Chengyun Sect. I wonder if this fellow Taoist knows a monster called Purple Star. Please help me."
Squeak~~
The small door of the bookshelf compartment was pushed open, and the Toad Taoist poked his head out. The pair of toad eyes exposed outside the bandages suddenly became solid.
"You actually knew I was here... You can't drag Liangsheng down, leave now!"
With his legs tensed, he jumped out of the compartment, and then... the rope around his waist was tightened, hanging directly under the small door, swaying, his limbs struggling for a moment, and when he saw the gaze of the old Taoist opposite, he steadied his body and just hung in the air, hugging his flippers and speaking majestically.
"What are you looking at? I'm not Zixing."