The autumn wind turned the leaves yellow and they fluttered down in the forest.
"… The world is peaceful, and our lives are much better. The world is better, and there are fewer robbers on the road. Your Majesty is indeed much better than our previous Emperor Chen."
"If you ask me, it would have been great if we had caught it earlier... We are almost at Lujia Village, right? This time we will take the fish to the north, and we may make a lot of money. Let's stop talking, save our energy, and hurry up."
In the former Chen Dynasty, in Fushui County, it was autumn when the fish were fat, and people went to Lujia Village in Qixia Mountain to collect fish and grain. On the mountain road, the axles creaked as the road surface was rough. Merchants drove their cars and donkeys together and walked south along the winding mountain road. Although it was a peaceful time, there were still robbers, and traveling in groups was often much safer.
Dingling bang bang~~~
The sound of copper bells rang among passers-by and vendors. A man and a donkey were walking leisurely. The scholar's white robe was wrinkled, as if it had not been washed for a long time and was stained with many mud spots. However, the scholar did not seem to care much. He sometimes sat on the old donkey's back, shaking his torn sleeves, and sometimes holding a gourd to pour wine into his mouth. There was also a small scabbard pendant on his waist, looking quite leisurely.
The old donkey following behind was shaking its bald tail to drive away flying insects, flipping its tongue in its mouth, lowering its head to reach for wild grass by the roadside as it walked, rolling it into its mouth to chew. On its back was a swaying bookshelf with a long sword hanging from it. As it swayed, the hilt of the sword knocked against the hanging small pot, making a series of tinkling sounds that attracted the attention of bystanders.
Lu Liangsheng was a poor scholar who looked quite dusty and down and out. He would not have attracted much attention. However, Zhu Ganglie, who was standing beside him, was fat and strong, much taller than the others. Walking on the road, he stood out like a crane among chickens. It was hard not to notice him.
Watching the scholar and the black-haired man go by, the bunch of old men became curious and started whispering to each other.
"Where do you think this scholar came from and where is he going?"
"Who knows? He looks dirty and worn, and his hair is dry and tangled. He must have walked a long way and didn't run into any robbers. I'm afraid it was the brave man next to him."
"Oh, what a poor fellow! How about we invite him to come with us?"
"Go away, it's easy for you to say."
At this time, the down-and-out scholar who was walking in front seemed to have heard the conversation of several people. He turned around and smiled at them, which made the fishmongers simply shut up. They only spoke again after the other party walked away.
"… This scholar can still laugh, maybe he is sick."
"Don't talk nonsense. It's not easy for him to be polite even though he looks like this."
"Forget it, forget it, brothers, don't ask for help anymore. We are almost at Lujia Village. Let's go to Honglian Temple to pray for good luck!"
"Oh, finally you said something useful."
When they were halfway through the journey, a voice suddenly said, "Hey, where is the scholar?"
The other four people looked forward and found that the scholar, the black man, and the old donkey who were walking in front of them were indeed gone.
"Maybe it's at the turning point ahead, and is blocked by rocks and trees."
From a distance, they could still hear the faint sound of copper bells and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as they thought they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Ding ding~~~
Behind the gradually yellowing forest at the foot of the mountain, more and more people were around. Lu Liangsheng called the old donkey over, led the reins, and looked ahead to the hillside. There was a lush pine forest, with curling clouds rising from the tree cages. There were many pilgrims coming and going on the stone steps below, some leaving in carriages, or just arriving here.
The sun is shining, the mountain breeze is blowing, the woods and fields are undulating, and among the bustling crowds lies the Honglian Temple, with its red walls and black tiles, bearing traces of rain, frost and wind, and dead leaves piled on the tiles.
Lu Liangsheng pulled the old donkey up the stone steps, looked at the bustling incense field, and a smile appeared on his tired face.
"Fortunately, many things were taken care of at the beginning and not delayed until now, otherwise I'm afraid there will be no chance again."
Looking at the temple with the incense burning in a trance, Zhu Ganglie, who was standing beside him, picked his nose, looked around, and said in a muffled voice:
"This Qixia Mountain is really full of spiritual energy and popularity. It has both the energy of heaven and earth and the energy of the human world. Not bad, it seems that you thought a lot about it at the beginning. People with a lot of knowledge are different. It's hard for people who live here not to live a hundred years. You must have put a lot of thought into it, right?"
"It's nothing to bother with the effort."
Lu Liangsheng came back to his senses and continued walking towards the temple in front. After thinking for a while, he smiled and said, "… After all, this is my home. My roots are here."
When passing by Honglian Temple, pilgrims coming in and out saw the scholar's clothes, covered their mouths and noses and avoided him. Lu Liangsheng lowered his head, raised his sleeve and smelled it, and burst out laughing.
“It’s really tasty.”
In the past, even if he didn't take a bath for several months, there would be no smell on his body. On the contrary, there was still the faint fragrance of the pot of soup that his master used to wash him. Now, he hasn't taken a bath for two months. No wonder people stay away from him and complain about the pig monster next to him.
"Why didn't you remind me that I smelled?"
Zhu Ganglie stared with wide eyes, sniffed it carefully, and spread his hands.
"I'm a demon, I smell all over, how can I smell you?"
Then he pushed the scholar and said, "Hurry up, I want to see what your lover looks like."
Lu Liangsheng slapped his hand back, looked in the direction of the temple, and frowned slightly.
"She should be out."
This was not a lie. With Hong Lian's current level of cultivation in incense and Taoism, it was not difficult for her to sense the evil aura from Zhu Ganglie and Toad Taoist, not to mention that they were so close to the temple.
At the temple gate not far away, pilgrims went in. An old woman carrying a basket lit incense and candles, put them in the stove, knelt on the cushion with her hands clasped together, and prayed silently to the statue above.
When it knocked its head off, a divine light invisible to ordinary people flashed in the clay sculpture and transformed into a graceful figure with swirling skirts, floating to the temple gate.
"Where does this evil spirit come from?"
With her brows slightly frowned, the woman walked under the eaves and looked in the direction of the evil spirit. A man and a donkey were coming towards this side. After seeing their faces clearly, her slightly frowned brows relaxed, and dimples appeared on her cheeks. She lifted her skirt lightly and quickly went down the stone steps to greet them.
"Young Master!"
The sun shone down, and the scholar who was walking over seemed not to hear anyone calling him. He looked around the crowd for something. However, Zhu Ganglie, who was standing next to him, saw the soul of the woman coming over, took a deep breath, and gently nudged the scholar's back with his elbow.
"What are you looking for? Aren't you here? It's over there, come over quickly!"
"where?"
Lu Liangsheng followed the direction he pointed, but saw nothing. He suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering that he was no longer a cultivator and had lost all his magical powers. Naturally, he could not see Hong Lian in her spiritual state.
Nie Honglian, who came over, also noticed that the scholar's cultivation was completely gone. Her face changed, and she exerted her magic power, waving her long sleeves around.
The noisy voices in the scholar's ears suddenly quieted down. In his eyes, a woman in a white dress rushed in front of him and hugged his shoulders and neck tightly. A faint fragrance, sandalwood, entered his nose.
Able to feel the reality hanging on his body, Lu Liangsheng patted her back gently, and saw the pig demon squatting on the ground next to him, his eyes bulging out, staring at her carefully without blinking.
With a dry cough, he pulled Hong Lian out of his arms.
"Hong Lian, come down first... There are people watching."