“… What’s so difficult about this? Why not ask the master if there is any solution?”
The candlelight flickered, shining on the slightly upturned face. The Toad Taoist closed his eyes, and his round webbed head moved excitedly on the table, "Finally, there is someone I can help with." Thinking of the expressions of his apprentice and the young Taoist asking about him, the Toad couldn't help but curl his lips.
'Ask quickly, quack!'
'Ask the Master quickly.' 'Ask, and the Master will tell you... Hmm?'
There was no response for a long while. He opened his eyes in confusion. There was no sign of Lu Liangsheng in front of him. He heard some voices in his ears. He turned his head suddenly and saw his apprentice and the young Taoist priest walking out of the hall while discussing.
The Toad Taoist was left standing on the table, with his head tilted and his webbed feet spread out in confusion, his mouth slightly open and unable to close.
Leaving now
… Shouldn’t you ask me for advice
He turned his head to look at Hong Lian who was wiping the table with a rag, and pointed to the door with trembling hands, "Little ghost girl, I want to ask you, why did Liangsheng leave without asking?"
Nie Honglian wiped one spot, folded the rag, raised her head and rolled her eyes at the Toad Taoist in front of her, then continued wiping the table.
"Master Toad, you always say you'll come when you open your mouth. 'Thinking back to the old days...' Such big talk has made my ears calloused. If it were me..."
"How are you?"
"I don't believe it either!"
Zhu Ganglie came in from outside holding a bunch of incense and candles. When he saw Hong Lian and Toad looking at him, he was stunned for a moment, and then said, "I don't believe it either."
He muttered, "I used to cook for people, and now I have to make incense and candles for these little ghosts... Back then, I was also Marshal Tianpeng..."
At this time, Sun Yingxian's voice was heard outside.
"Old Pig, make them something that tastes like roast chicken! I'll give you a book later!"
"Oh!" Zhu Ganglie turned around and responded. He glanced at the pile of incense and candles in his arms. The corners of his mouth almost split to the back of his neck. He whistled happily and ran briskly to the alchemy room.
"No one believes me!"
Toad Taoist stretched his arms straight, his clenched frog webs trembling slightly. Hong Lian came over and said, "Master Toad, please step on it."
The man stood up and raised his webbed feet as he wiped with the rag. The Toad Taoist looked at the female ghost who hummed a little tune and floated to the attic after wiping. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he jumped off the round table and hopped up the stairs.
"You didn't believe the last time, when there were monsters in the northwest, so why don't you believe it this time?"
On the wooden steps, the Toad Taoist held up his flippers, took a breath, turned around and looked outside the open door. His disciple was walking side by side with him in the light of lanterns, his whiskers dancing at the corners of his mouth and he nodded solemnly.
"It seems like it's time to show my true strength as a teacher and enhance my dignity as a master!"
With a low groan, he turned around and took a step, hitting the wooden steps with a bang. He squatted down, covering his mouth and nose, and lowered his head and hit the wooden steps with another bang. His body suddenly leaned back, his eyes widened, and his webbed feet waved wildly instinctively, so fast that they left two afterimages, and he swung his body back.
call!
The Toad Taoist tilted his head to look at the high ground and let out a long breath.
"I am indeed capable."
…
Outside the building, lanterns were swaying under the eaves. Amid the flickering light, Lu Liangsheng discussed with the Taoist priest about the placement and worship of these evil spirits.
"At present, some gods have just been conferred positions and do not have temples yet. I will trouble you to burn a stick of incense every morning and evening to offer sacrifices."
"I have already thought of what you said." The Taoist returned to his usual temper, tapped Lu Liangsheng's chest, and leaned against the old pine tree. "Besides, what is the relationship between you and me? Why do I need to bother you? If I really want to thank you, I can pass on your skills to your nephew when I have time."
This old Sun is really a person who never suffers any loss.
Lu Liangsheng smiled. It was indeed a bit awkward for family members to use the word "trouble", but courtesy was still required. As for his sister Xiaoxian's child, he inherited the Taoist's talent and had good talent. How much he could learn in the future depended on him.
"Once you are done with these things, let Yun'er follow me. Okay, you go back and rest first. I still have to go to the palace. There are some things that I still need to clarify with His Majesty."
"About these matters of Yin Shen Wubing? Forget it, forget it. I won't say more. You can go and do your work."
Sun Yingxian was a lazy person to begin with. If Lu Liangsheng had not been out of touch at the beginning, she would not have bothered to take care of the affairs here. It would have been much better for her to take Xiaoxian and the children back to Qixia Mountain to live a free and unrestrained life.
"I'd better go back to my wife and children and warm their bed!"
Lu Liangsheng looked at the back of the person walking into the eaves under the lantern and bowed: "Old Sun, thank you very much."
The figure over there raised his hand and waved to Lu Liangsheng twice, "Busy man, go and get busy." Then he stepped over the threshold and went up to the attic.
The rustling sound is the sound of branches shaking their leaves in the wind.
Lu Liangsheng withdrew his gaze, turned and walked towards the mountain gate below. His figure disappeared in the darkness, and when he reappeared, he was already in the city. The eaves of the houses were low, and lanterns were hanging swaying. Street vendors were busy packing up their stalls and loading them onto trucks to be taken away. The streets that were noisy during the day became quiet. Occasionally, a few drunkards would stumble out of the tavern, supporting each other, and sit on the street, talking drunkenly and laughing, attracting the people who were already asleep nearby to open the windows on the second floor and shout curses down.
"Howling! You're not sleeping in the middle of the night and calling for help!"
The drunkards downstairs got together, linked their arms and rushed downstairs to curse at the people above, then staggered away with their wine jugs.
Lu Liangsheng put his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, and watched the few people walk away. He turned around and left as well. In this atmosphere, he felt a sense of worldly affairs.
"The opera just now was really beautiful."
"Well, that actor has a good voice..."
The voices of a man and a woman were heard, and Lu Liangsheng stopped. Not far ahead, a man and a woman were leaning on each other, talking and laughing as they walked towards a nearby house. At the gate of the house, which was lit with lanterns, an old man with a gloomy face stood there. The man and woman who had come over immediately separated and their smiles faded.
The woman called out softly, "Dad, it's so late, why haven't you slept yet?"
"I'm still waiting for you."
The old man leaned on his crutch and pretended to hit his daughter, but when he saw her droopy face, he sighed, put it down again, and waved his hands inside.
"Go in quickly."
"Daddy is the best."
A smile suddenly broke out on the woman's face, and she quietly hooked her finger at the young man next to her, motioning him to come in quickly. The latter nodded to the old man and followed him in.
well.
The old man sighed and was about to turn back when he suddenly saw another old man standing on the street not far away. He turned around and asked, "Old man, it's late at night, why don't you go home?"
"It's a dull summer night. I can't sleep, so I went out for a walk."
Lu Liangsheng walked over slowly with his hands behind his back and bowed to the other party. He had not seen the old man in front of him for a long time. Over the years, he had aged so much.
"Are you Minister Min, Min Changwen?"
"What Shangshu? I've resigned three years ago. You look familiar to me, brother. It seems I've seen you before." Min Changwen had been an official in Chang'an for many years. After he retired from the court, he was somewhat happy that someone still remembered him. "Brother, are you also a member of the court?"
"No, I just saw Minister Min a few times and recognized him clearly."
After a few pleasantries, Lu Liangsheng did not stay any longer. He just took two steps and suddenly said, "Minister Min, I have something to say."
"What's up?"
Lu Liangsheng hesitated for a moment, pursed his lips, and finally spoke.
"Minister Min... you should take your family and leave Chang'an."
The old man who walked to the gate frowned and slammed the floor tile with the wooden stick in his hand. "Brother, I appreciate your kindness, but I won't see you off!"
"Dad! Why are you still here?"
The woman came back and helped the old man in. She peeked outside and saw a hunched figure turning around and slowly walking down the street. She was stunned for a moment and looked at him in a trance.
"Yue Rou, what are you still looking at? It's time to go back... What's wrong with your eyes? Why are you crying?"
"ah?"
The woman finally reacted and quickly raised her hand to wipe her cheek, looking at the tears on her fingertips with some confusion, "Maybe there's sand in my eyes, it was that person just now..."
When I looked up again, the long street was empty.