The mountain road was winding and the white road stretched out. The branches in the forest drooped and the heavy snow fell to the ground. A donkey's hoof stepped on it, leaving hoof prints.
The sound of jingling copper bells echoed in the air, and the old donkey, shaking its mane, licked the snow on the grass by the roadside with its tongue.
The three people who were more than ten steps away from the woodcutter stared at his back, and from time to time they looked at the cliffs outside the mountain path. The snow-covered steep rocks were quite unique if they were to look at them at their leisure.
After following the woodcutter for a while, his tense expression relaxed a little and they started chatting along the way.
"That woodcutter, why is he going out to collect firewood in such heavy snow? Aren't you afraid of falling off the cliff?"
In front of the donkey, the woodcutter holding the reins turned his head, rubbed his palms, and exhaled: "When it gets colder in the house, you will naturally have to walk around, collect some firewood, and keep warm."
After getting a little familiar with each other, the three men let down their guard, and the man carrying a spear began to laugh.
"Haha, it seems you have a wife and daughter at home, but what's the point of collecting all this firewood? It's better to go to the city and earn more money."
"The warrior is right. It is good to make more money." The woodcutter pulled the reins to make the donkey go faster, and then patted the hatchet hanging on his waist. "... But when it grows on the tree, it provides shelter for small animals and birds. When it grows on the ground, it can also keep my parents, wife and children warm and provide me with three meals a day. How can it be useless?"
The truth is simple, but it always feels strange when it comes from the mouth of a mountain woodcutter.
The honest-looking outlaw frowned and said, "Little brother, you did give us a good explanation. Who told you that?"
"Why do you need anyone to tell you? People who are used to doing this work will understand." The woodcutter said, and he turned around while leading the old donkey to look at the three people who were looking at him, with a smile on his lips.
"There is a private school in Lujia Village. If you listen to it for a long time, it will open your mind and make you think more about things. You will understand many things."
He walked down a gentle slope in front, then stopped and pointed to the snow-covered forest in front.
"That's all for the three of you. If you pass through the forest over there, you will see the mountain road outside. Go north and you will reach Fushui County. You will also see Honglian Temple and Lujia Village along the way."
The three men were used to the world and were very careful and cautious in their actions. They immediately bowed and thanked the woodcutter, but still invited him to accompany them and take them there.
The forest was not deep and could be walked through in just a few dozen steps. Standing at the edge of the forest, one could see the road below, which was right next to another mountain.
"It seems that the people of Qixia Mountain are simple and honest, and I am overly suspicious."
The honest-looking outlaw looked at the mountain path below where merchants were still passing by, sighed in his heart, and was about to bow to the woodcutter to express his gratitude, but when he turned around, he found that except for his two companions, there was no sign of the woodcutter. Even the old donkey carrying firewood was gone, leaving only a series of footprints on the ground.
"What about the woodcutter and the donkey?"
The other two were also looking around. The woodcutter was only two or three steps away from them. As a man of the world, he had sharp senses and was aware of any movement. Yet he disappeared right under their noses for no reason.
"It was there just now, how come it disappeared in the blink of an eye?"
"Don't talk, just listen..."
The warm winter sun casts a silver glow on the mountains, the wind whimpers as the foothills undulate, and faint singing can be heard.
"The horses are drinking the snow from the river... A single tree withers and becomes a forest, looking from afar... In the depths of winter, snow and flowers are falling, and the birds are returning to the forest..."
The vague lyrics echoed in the mountains. The three people looked at each other, then reacted and cried out "ouch" in unison. They took a few steps back, looked nervously in the direction where the singing came from, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
It was on the hillside of another mountain, an unknown distance away.
"It's the woodcutter's voice."
"I was here just now, but in the blink of an eye, I am over there... Did I encounter a mountain ghost?"
"Go down quickly, it's too scary, walk away."
The three of them pushed each other and ran quickly down the steep slope. The honest-looking middle-aged man at the back turned around, bowed politely in the direction of the singing, then lifted his robe and chased after his companions.
…
“… Riding that bald donkey, crossing mountains and rivers, is better than riding a thousand horses… Drinking a pot of muddy wine to the sky, the world sings praises to the universe…”
The man sang a tune in his unique voice. Amid the tinkling of copper bells, the woodcutter pulled his old donkey along the winding mountain path, passed through the mist that covered the muddy path, and bowed towards the solitary cliff in the distance and the old pine covered with snow.
Not far from the tree, there was a tombstone on a raised mound of earth. A woman in a skirt with colorful embroidery was wiping it gently with a towel. She heard singing and the sound of copper bells coming over, and saw the young man in blue linen clothes and the old donkey over there, and she started laughing.
"Sir, why are you back so late today?"
"We met three lost people and sent them to the mountain path outside." The woodcutter was Lu Liangsheng. In recent days, he did not seem to be ashamed and had abandoned his identity as a monk. He went up the mountain to collect firewood, fetch water, and farm. He did everything by himself, which puzzled people around him. He didn't even use any magic power to do many things. He was just a handsome young man from a farm family.
He took the towel from Hong Lian's hand and wiped the mud spots on the bottom of the tombstone, then went back to the thatched cottage together. There was little snow in and outside the yard, so it seemed that the yard had been cleared.
Seeing a broom on the ground, Lu Liangsheng picked it up and put it against the wall.
"You didn't use any mana?"
"Since you don't need it, I won't use it either!" Hong Lian wrinkled her nose at him and took the broom from him: "I brought it home and I need to take it back. What if I lose it?!"
"Whatever you say, I'll listen to you."
Lu Liangsheng walked to the gate of the courtyard and patted the donkey's back: "Get on the donkey."
The woman curled her lips, chuckled, and jumped onto the old donkey's back to sit sideways. She watched Lu Liangsheng walking in front holding the reins, kicking her little feet under her skirt, and humming a little tune softly while holding a broom.
Before going down the mountain, the two went to the cave first. Lu Liangsheng asked Hong Lian to wait outside, and he opened the stone door and went in. He put some dry food and water, and cast a warming spell for the master who was curled up in a ball. The short figure who was shivering slightly in his sleep immediately felt comfortable, wrapped in the quilt and fell asleep, with a bead of water vapor next to him.
It was exactly the fish monster from Niutouji back then.
He put things in place for the Toad Taoist and looked at the furnishings. Finding nothing else to do, he came out and closed the stone door again, led the old donkey, and returned all the way to the village at the foot of the mountain. Most of the neighbors who gathered in the village during their winter leisure time had nothing to do, so when they saw Lu Liangsheng coming back leading the old donkey and carrying Hong Lian, they all waved and greeted him.
"Liangsheng, do you have enough firewood? I still have plenty at home. If you don't have enough, come and get some. Don't go to the mountains for no reason."
"That's enough. These three bundles of firewood will last for two days!"
Lu Liangsheng smiled and replied, then he said hello to other villagers around him, and led the old donkey back to the small fenced yard. His mother Li Jinhua and sister Xiaoxian were not there. Lu Laoshi was planing wood under the eaves, while the Taoist priest was lying on a cypress branch, flipping through some books and papers.
"Where's the old pig?"
After leading the old donkey into the shed, Lu Liangsheng put down the three bundles of firewood and piled them aside. Hong Lian said hello to Lu Laoshi who was under the eaves and ran to the kitchen to help wash rice and cook.
Over there, the Taoist flipped over from the tree, descended to the stone table, and then jumped to the ground, pointing to the attic.
"He even held the painting you drew and kissed and touched it, disturbing me so much that I couldn't even sleep properly."
"You want it?"
Lu Liangsheng put the firewood away, dusted off his hands, looked at him, and his eyes fell on the paper in his hand.
"What did you take?"
"Your apprentice sent it. I received it for you."
"Can you help me read it while you're at it?" Lu Liangsheng took the pieces of paper. They were sent by Wang Banxia from Chang'an two months ago. There were a few polite greetings and some casual chats. Before he finished reading, the Taoist said, "You are worse than the old toad as a master. You don't care about your apprentice. By the way, I haven't heard from your third son for a long time."
The third one refers to Li Sui'an.
After being reminded by the Taoist priest, Lu Liangsheng remembered that he had not heard from Li Sui'an for a long time. When the three people left him, they gave him a magical instrument for communication, which could only be used once and would not be used unless it was an important matter. Qu Yuanfeng and Yuwen Tuo had already used it.
… I guess Li Sui’an didn’t encounter any danger. This kid is smart and agile, so he shouldn’t suffer any harm.
Putting down the letter for the time being, Lu Liangsheng returned to the house. He still wanted to listen to his disciple's voice and see how he was doing outside for so long. At most, he could make him a magical instrument for communication.
Thinking of this, he took out the jade pendant that had been put away for a long time from the bookshelf, held it in his palm, and a ray of magic light flowed along the jade ring for several circles. After a long time, it seemed to connect with the other side.
"Master?" Li Sui'an's voice came from the other side.
Then there was a series of ping-pong and bang-bang sounds, as if someone was fighting.
"Master... are you in trouble?"
In the jade ring that shone with Dharma light, Li Sui'an's voice sounded a little anxious, as if he was fighting with someone while running and moving at the same time.
"... I ran into a madman, and he actually said that the land under our feet is round. How could the land be round? We argued for a few words and then started fighting... Wait, he's coming again... Hey, watch out, control the sword—"