A high-ranking official from the county government came to the house. Lu Laoshi was so happy that he was busy running around. He also called Li Jinhua, who was still outside, to come back to cook, and quickly moved a few stools to the eaves.
"Well... well... Mr. Wang, please take a seat."
He turned back to look at his son and urged him, "Liangsheng, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and ask the chief clerk to take a seat."
"Don't bother."
The old man waved his hand, looked at the student who saluted, and smiled slightly: "I went out today to see the scenery of Qixia Mountain, where there are many outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and I also came to see Liangsheng."
"That's impossible. You are my son Liangsheng's mentor. Now that you are at home, how can you not eat?" Li Jinhua had already fetched water to wash the rice. Women in mountain villages have never had the rule that women cannot interrupt when men are talking.
Lu Liangsheng also nodded: "Master, please stay for dinner."
The old man on the other side was not pedantic. He didn't care about the woman's interruption. He smiled and said, "If I eat dinner, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to the county town tonight. I still have official business to deal with tomorrow. Liangsheng, come with me to take a walk outside the village."
"Yes." Liangsheng stopped persuading him and followed the old man out of the yard.
The toad lying on the window frame snorted.
"I have never been so polite to an old man before."
As he muttered, a big hand reached out, lifted the Toad Taoist priest up and placed him on his shoulder. Sun Yingxian said with a grin, "I know you want to go, so I'll kindly take you along the way."
"You're being kind!" Toad glared at him and turned his face away.
After three months of getting along, Sun Yingxian knew the temper of this toad and didn't care at all. When he walked to the courtyard entrance, there was a man staring at him. The Taoist was stunned for a moment, then put on a smile.
"Hey, isn't this the head of the police..."
Zuo Zhengyang stared at his shoulder, then his eyes fell on the Taoist's face, his eyes were like lightning: "Why are you here?"
"Why can't this Taoist be here?"
When they met on the first day of the new year, Sun Yingxian was still frightened by the captain's knife skills. After calming down, she spoke fluently: "The people of Lujia Village are kind and hospitable. Seeing that I am a poor Taoist, it is normal for them to help me for ten days or half a month."
He glanced at the slender scabbard on the other person's waist and arched his hand.
"Goodbye, I'm leaving first!"
Even though he chased after him, Zuo Zhengyang was still worried about the Taoist, so he followed him at a quick pace.
Outside the village, a vast expanse of white reflected the sunlight, somewhat dazzling to the eyes. An old man and a young boy were walking on the country road, looking at the acres of fertile fields around them. After a long while, Wang Shuhua slowly spoke.
"I came here today and saw that the villagers are hardworking and have cultivated good fields. That's great. But, Liangsheng, do you think it's better to benefit the people of a place or the people of a country?"
Lu Liangsheng, who was walking behind, was stunned for a moment, looked at the figure that stopped in front of him, and frowned slightly.
“… naturally, they are the people of a country, and a country also includes a land.”
"It's just a perfunctory statement."
The old man was not angry. He took two steps with his hands behind his back, then turned sideways to look at the river flowing not far away.
"Then you killed Chen Yaoke, right?"
The sudden words, although spoken in a gentle tone, made the hairs on Lu Liangsheng's back stand up. When something like murder is spoken of, anyone would feel a little nervous.
"Mr...."
Without waiting for the young man to explain, Wang Shuhua turned his head and nodded: "Good kill!"
In the distance on the path between the fields, Sun Yingxian and Zuo Zhengyang stopped and looked over.
Here, Lu Liangsheng looked at the old man with a stunned expression on his face. For a moment, he couldn't guess what the teacher in front of him was going to say, but he had never regretted that incident.
He bowed slightly and said, "Teacher, Chen Yaoke was killed by me."
"Good kill!"
The old man repeated, and his eyes looking at Lu Liangsheng were different after all. "I came here today because of the order of the county lord. He also guessed that the incidents at Chen Yuanwai's house and Yazui Ridge were caused by you, but he does not intend to pursue it. I just want to ask you, your teacher, to tell you that side door techniques are just minor techniques."
"Master, what Liangsheng is practicing is..."
"The method of killing people is a minor one, and it is also what I really think. Liangsheng, you see..."
The old man spoke calmly, raising his hand to sweep away the surrounding snowy countryside and the rolling mountains, "… These views remain unchanged from time immemorial. In a hundred or a thousand years, some places may change, but they won't be too different. But people can only live for a few decades. People who practice Taoism may live very long. Pursuing longevity is, after all, nothing but selfishness."
He is old, with half of his hair being gray, and his words are also influenced by his past experiences.
"Actually, it's a bit too selfish to say that. After all, everyone has selfish desires. It's understandable that people who practice Taoism pursue immortality and follow the laws of nature, but good life... In this world, not everyone can have such good fortune. There are many people like the people in this village, like your parents and relatives, who are ordinary people and live a hard life."
"Liangsheng knows."
Lu Liangsheng sighed and bowed: "But I can't fully agree with it."
"Oh?" The old man must have expected him to say that, and he smiled: "Then I am all ears."
“Master, although my cultivation is shallow, I know that I can make the lives of the villagers here better. I will set up a small magic circle to gather spirits in this river to nourish the fish, shrimp and soil, so that they can have more food and clothing in the future, and earn more money.
Liangsheng has often heard that there are many monsters that harm people in the wilderness and deep mountains and forests. There are also cultivators in the world who uphold justice and eliminate evil. They are not as selfish as my master said. Even if they pursue the way to immortality, it is just a human desire and a goal in their hearts. It is no different from being an official and sailing against the current. "
The young man spoke calmly, but what he said was beyond his age and experience. The old man opposite him frowned slightly, but there was a flash of approval in his eyes.
Turn around, take a step forward and continue moving forward.
"Liangsheng, your analysis is very good, which shows that you have worked hard in your studies. But it is still a bit rigid. As you said, how many people can be helped by cultivators who are chivalrous and righteous and get rid of those evil spirits that harm people? Moreover, not every cultivator is like you. Liangsheng... You treat the people well here and create a good cause, but it is only a small part of your life after all."
Wang Shuhua stood with his hands behind his back and a steady gaze, looking at the farmers busy in the fields and the man digging a pond in front of him.
"If you study hard and pass the imperial examination to become an official in the future, how much benefit will you bring to rural areas like this? Even if you cannot become an official in the court, as the lord of a county, you can still take care of tens of thousands of people. In the face of such great virtues and great deeds, no matter how powerful the immortal magic is, it will seem insignificant."
Lu Liangsheng fell silent, his expression unchanged. The cold wind from the fields blew the clothes of the old man and the young.
After a long while, the young man bowed and said, "Student knows."
The old man who was walking slowly in front didn't plan to go any further. He turned around, saw that he didn't say anything, smiled, and nodded with his hand.
"You... I am not asking you to give up your practice. I just want to tell you what is more important. However, I have not seen many practitioners in my life. What I said just now was just advice. You are talented and intelligent. You should not waste it. Don't let me down in the next spring examination."
Although the words seemed peaceful, Wang Shuhua still cared about the so-called cultivator in his heart, but he had never seen one in his life. Killing people without being seen, singing and drinking across the mountains and fields, were also what a scholar like him yearned for in his heart.
After all, Ke Xin is old, older than her body.
The cold wind was getting stronger. In order to prevent the old man from catching a cold, Lu Liangsheng made a gesture with his fingers and flicked his wide sleeves. Something invisible blocked the wind outside, which surprised Wang Shuhua.
I even reached out to touch it out of curiosity, but I couldn't feel anything.
The teacher and the student walked and talked along the path in the field, praising each other repeatedly. After another half an hour, Zuo Zhengyang came over and said that it was getting late, so they prepared to leave.
The old man got on the carriage, opened the curtain and reminded her again: "Remember what I said before."
"Follow the teachings of my teacher."
Lu Liangsheng bowed and watched the carriage go away until it disappeared at the end of the road, then he turned around and walked back.
On the small path in the field, Taoist Toad looked at the carriage going away and stood up angrily.
"… This old fellow is so hypocritical and looks down on those who practice Taoism. I am so angry that I am dying. Don't stop me—"
With a kick of its two short legs, it jumped to the ground. Sun Yingxian was quick-eyed and quick-handed and grabbed it. The whole short figure was grabbed in mid-air, slipped out of the cotton-padded jacket, and deviated in direction.
Bang!
That was the sound of water hitting the surface.
Far away.
Lu Liangsheng was walking back to the village, still thinking about the conversation he had just had with his mentor. A moment later, he heard a Taoist priest shouting in the distance.
"Lu Liangsheng, your Toad Master fell into the pond!"
In the water-reservoir, Taoist Toad sank loudly.
"Gurgle gurgle..."
Only a few bubbles emerged from the water.