"The headmaster is out, what should we do?"
"Eat it. If that pig demon gets angry later, we won't be able to defeat him."
"But the food tastes good."
The five people picked up the dishes and piled them into their bowls. Their chopsticks touched the bottom of the bowls and they shoveled rice into their mouths with a "da da" sound. Their two eyes, which were exposed from their lowered heads, kept peeking at the monsters and people around them.
The mighty man in a cloak over there tilted his head, slammed the table, quickly retracted his gaze, and buried his head in picking up vegetables and eating rice. Gongsun Liao stood up and looked around. It seemed that he really didn't care about Zhu Ganglie's previous request for Zhu Erniang. He called Zuo Zhengyang and Yan Chixia enthusiastically.
"If we hold a banquet, I'm afraid there won't be enough seats here. Let's just move it outside, where there's more space! Oh, and a banquet can't be complete without drinks. I'll go get some!"
When Lu Liangsheng saw him leaving, he reminded him, "Remember to pay!"
A voice of "I know" came back from afar. Lu Liangsheng raised his hand to stop Yan and Zuo from moving the table and chairs outside. He smiled and gestured, and took out a brush from his sleeve, "Did you two forget that I used an illusion? You should eat some food and wait for them to come."
The two thought about it and decided that it was still early and it would be a good idea to eat something first. The Toad Taoist on the ground glanced at the old wolf leaving and smelled the aroma of the food. He decided not to pretend anymore, and puffed up his stomach, jumped onto the stool with his robe on his shoulders, used the momentum to jump, and climbed onto the table using his webbed feet.
"Finally I can eat..."
Then, he stretched out two hands, pushed and supported, lifted the toad and put it on his shoulders. Lu Liangsheng didn't want to eat for the time being, as he had something on his mind and needed to discuss something with his master.
"Master, let's save it for dinner. Let's go for a walk by the lake."
The Taoist Toad who was sitting on his shoulder crossed his webbed feet across his chest, glaring with his toad eyes as if he was angry. He ignored his disciple and looked at the dishes on the table that were gradually disappearing. His cheeks were puffed up, and he couldn't help but sip the saliva that was overflowing from the corners of his mouth.
Know…
Know, know, know…
The sounds of cicadas rose and fell in the woods at the mountain gate. In the distant Hibiscus Pond, the lake breeze blew across the water, and the reeds standing on the shore swayed slowly. The sun was slightly to the west at this time, and it was bright. Butterflies and bees fluttered among the flowers and plants, and followed the footsteps of people, and flew away in panic.
"Master, I called you out because I want to ask you something..." Lu Liangsheng walked slowly along the shore, leaving a series of shoe prints on the soft muddy soil by the lake. He looked at the old dragon fishing on the stone railing in the distance and asked softly, "Master was also a piece of Nuwa's sky-repairing stone. Do you know if there are other ways to fill the hole in the sky?"
"You don't even let me eat a bite of food. I think you are the emperor! I still want to ask, even if I know..."
The Taoist Toad, who was holding his frog web, muttered angrily. After hearing his apprentice's words, he suddenly reacted, tilted his head to look at the old man's profile, and opened his eyes wide: "What did you say just now? Repairing the sky?"
"Um."
Lu Liangsheng repeated what the monkey had said to him this morning, and also told Toad Taoist about the matter of the demon star. It would be better to discuss it out loud so that they could have more people to discuss with and see if they could come up with a solution.
The lake was sparkling, and I stopped to look at the reflected light. Speaking of these things, I finally wanted to see if there was any way to do it.
“The evil stars have reunited. If they dare to come to Chang’an, I will smash them to pieces with a gourd!” The Toad Taoist stood up, holding his frog webs, raised his chin, narrowed his eyes, and looked at the lake.
On the stone railing in the distance, an old dragon caught another fish, which slapped the water surface. Over here, the toad snorted and moved its flippers.
"But don't worry about me... I won't go to mend the sky, you ask that monkey to do it."
"Master, I never said that."
"I can't even think about it."
After a few jokes, the toad paused, looked at the lake surface dyed red, pursed his lips, and said, "It's useless to think more. We'll talk about it when the time comes. I'll go to the Old Mother Temple to pray to the Old Mother of Mount Li to see if I can find a solution."
Lu Liangsheng didn't say anything. He slowly turned around and walked forward. He greeted Lao Jiao and continued walking. The slanting sunlight shone on his face and he whispered softly.
"Let's set up some magic circles first, and make them bigger... maybe they can be used later."
It sounded like he was talking to Toad Taoist, but also like he was talking to himself.
The slightly slanting sun turned into a ray of light.
As the sun sets, the Wanshou Temple becomes bustling. Lu Liangsheng goes back to the temple and uses his brush to paint a series of tables, chairs and screens in the sunset glow. Five sword cultivators sit blankly under the eaves, staring at the empty space. Desks and stools rise up out of thin air, and a large screen for cooling off in the summer appears. They are so shocked that their swords drop to the ground.
The old donkey carried the white hen on his back and walked past with a loud neigh as if mocking her.
In the noisy square, Yan Chixia and Zuo Zhengyang carried out another screen facing the stringed instruments and placed it there. After a moment, Lu Liangsheng waved his wide sleeves, and a picture on it showed musicians lining up to play festive and melodious music and slowly walked out.
A geisha in a red dress jumped out of the painting and landed in the middle of the table, waving her long sleeves with her bare feet. Hong Lian pouted her red lips and flew to the attic, taking out a series of beautiful dresses. She spun on the spot, changing the color and style of her clothes, looked at herself in the bronze mirror, then smiled and went back downstairs.
Lu Liangsheng turned his head and looked at the woman who turned her skirt towards him, revealing her sweet dimples. He also smiled. In response, the slender figure stood on tiptoes, leaned over and gently kissed him on the face.
The sunset glow makes people's faces red.
Under the old pine tree reflecting the setting sun, Lu Liangsheng rubbed and scratched her nose. They snuggled together in the sunset, looking at the mountain gate below and the people walking towards them from afar.
Li Sui'an, just like before, put his arm around his brother's shoulder and made hand gestures, coming over talking and laughing, and reaching the mountain gate. When Yuwen Tuo saw the figure here, he bowed respectfully.
Behind them, four scholars were carrying gifts wrapped in oilcloth paper, whispering to each other, pushing each other as they stepped onto the stone steps leading to the mountain gate. Then they were frightened by a little head poking out of the bushes and almost fell down.
Mingyue smiled, made a face, and ran away, causing the four people to shout and curse angrily.
The cicada's chirping was annoying. Lao Jiao put away his fishing rod and held a large colorful fish in his hand with satisfaction. This was his gift for someone tonight. As he walked along the road, two carriages drove slowly and stopped at the mountain gate.
Yang Guang, who was wearing casual clothes, scolded the father and son Yuwen who wanted to catch up. In another carriage, Li Yuan and Li Yuanba looked at the father and son Yuwen who were left behind, made a gesture of invitation, and invited them to go together.
Soon, night fell.
In the noisy Wanshou Temple, the attic was bustling with activity.
The flame from the kitchen made the iron pot boil, and the oil lamp on the stove cast several shadows on the wall. One insect leg was holding the iron spatula to stir-fry, one insect leg was passing firewood, and several other insect legs were busy picking vegetables and washing dishes... On the extended table, Zhu Ganglie was holding a kitchen knife and chopping chicken and duck.
The night breeze ran across the square, and people who walked into the temple one after another were invited by Yan Chixia and Zuo Zhengyang to take a seat. Some knew each other, some didn't, and even the Yin gods in the shrines came out, sat at the table, pulled others to drink, and started chatting.
It was noisy and bustling, and the party was already lively before it even started.