The autumn rain is lingering and the mountains are hazy.
"Sir, be careful."
The book boy held an umbrella and tried to help the young man.
"Oh~ no need!"
The scholar waved his hand casually, looked at the slippery mountain road, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and said with a smile, "Teacher often says that if you have to read thousands of books, you need to travel thousands of miles. I am honest and you can't deceive me."
"The style of Shaanzhou is indeed very different from that of Ezhou. Although Divine Land has been unified for thousands of years, the customs and customs of Qin and Chu are still very different."
"It's not enough to just copy the book. If you are an official, you still need to understand the sentiments of the people..."
The book boy said with admiration, "Sir, you will definitely be a good official in the future."
"A good official?"
The scholar looked to the north and sighed, "There are many powerful people in Beijing. It has been a hundred years since the founding of our country, and the wealthy family Aristocratic Clan has already been formed. If there is no one to help, most of them will lose their reputation after entering Beijing this time."
Following him was an old man dressed as a hunter.
The two scholars spoke with accents from their hometown, which the hunter couldn't quite understand, and didn't think much about it. Instead, he looked around with wary faces.
Seeing this, the scholar quickly changed his tone and asked in Mandarin: "Old Man Wang, is there any danger here?"
"It's more than just dangerous!"
The hunter snorted coldly, "You, a young man, don't take the main road and only focus on these remote trails. It's really hard to earn this little money."
The scholar laughed dumbly, shook his head and said, "After passing Shangluo, how can you not come to Tianzhushan Mountain. In the past, Song Era Shao Anle used to live here in seclusion. The magnificent scenery of the sky and the cloud sea is something I have longed for..."
"I don't understand what you said!"
The hunter pointed forward and whispered, "I only know that the back mountain is not very peaceful."
"There are people who go up the mountain to collect herbs. If they are confused, they will get lost. If you are lucky, you can get out. If you are not lucky, you will be gone!"
The book boy swallowed, obviously a little scared, "There is Ghost Wall on the mountain..."
"Shut up!"
The hunter shouted angrily. Seeing that the book boy turned pale with fright, he had to slow down his tone and snorted, "Forgot what I said?"
"Remember, it's Lord Gentle Breeze!"
"Oh, it's Lord Gentle Breeze hitting the wall."
The book boy remembered the taboos the hunter had mentioned before and quickly changed his mind.
The scholar next to him almost laughed out loud, but seeing the look on the hunter's face, he still held it in. He turned to look at the dense forest in the distance, and said thoughtfully, "Legend has it that Tang Era Great Dharma Master Luo lives here in seclusion, so there is something mysterious about it."
As he spoke, he took out the tortoise shell and copper coins from his arms, stuffed them into them, shook them a few times, and then fell to the ground.
The hunter immediately stood in awe, "Young Master knows magic?"
A trace of arrogance flashed in the scholar's eyes, but he smiled modestly and said, "I just learned some Yili. I have been doing divination in the mountains all the way, and I have never failed to turn bad luck into good luck."
"Well... the second line changes, the Kun position is safe..."
The scholar counted his fingers and calculated in his mind, then put away the tortoise shell copper coins and said with a smile, "Don't worry, this trip to the mountain will be smooth sailing!"
As night falls, thick fog fills the forest.
The group of people was completely lost in the mountains.
The bookboy held up a lantern and looked around in panic, his voice trembling a little, "Mr. Gongzi, your hexagram doesn't work..."
The scholar's legs were also trembling a little, but he still said firmly, "Don't worry, it's just fog in the mountains. Let's rest for a night and see again tomorrow..."
"Everyone will be gone tomorrow!" Hunter Old Man Wang couldn't hold back his anger at all, "You city dwellers, you don't know what's good or bad at all, do you really think you can escape by staying here?"
"I hooked you and jumped off a cliff in the middle of the night!"
As he spoke, he bent down and cupped his hands, and shouted to the dark dense forest around him, "The road is facing the sky, everyone goes to one side. There is no injustice in the past, and there is no enmity in the recent days. If there is a collision, I hope the sea will be forgiven..."
With a sincere look on his face, he shouted three times in a row.
Then, he took out three small white grass poles from his body, took one for himself, handed one to the scholar and the boy, and said in a deep voice, "One for each person, take the left path, take three steps and tap the ground with the pole, don't talk along the way, and don't look back!"
"Please Mao Niang?"
The book boy's eyes lit up, "Old Man Wang, are you also from Ezhou? We often worship Maonang Nian there."
The scholar smiled and said, "Spirit Reed Holy Reed, pray for blessings in the face of evil, we worship Mao in the land of Chu, <Mandarin> said, in the past we became princes of the royal alliance in Qiyang..."
Hunter Lao Wang was driven crazy by these two people. He suddenly pulled out his woodcutter and growled, "If you keep chirping, don't go out. Laozi I'll kill you first!"
The scholar and the scholar both hurriedly shut their mouths.
When the old hunter saw this, he snorted and reminded again, "This method is passed down from our ancestors. Remember, no matter what is shouted from behind, don't look back, don't agree, just grab the clothes of the person in front."
"Remember, if you talk later, Laozi won't look for him if he is lost! Life or death is a matter of fate, don't blame others!"
Having said that, he took the lead and walked ahead.
In this atmosphere, the master and the servant were obviously frightened. They followed the old hunter from the left without saying a word, tapping the ground with thatch every three steps.
As they walked, the two of them realized something was wrong.
They always felt like someone was following them behind them, blowing cool air into their ears, vaguely, and someone seemed to be talking...
Their legs were weak and they were trembling with fear. Fortunately, they remembered the hunter's words and did not dare to violate any taboos, so they followed behind them honestly.
Perhaps the old hunter's method worked. In less than Three Incense Sticks, the thick fog in the surrounding dense forest dispersed a lot, and the scene in the distance also changed.
There is a corner ahead. On the huge rock, there are four big characters "Zhong Yun Shenxiu" left by someone unknown when. Although the writing is mottled and the cinnabar red paint has fallen off, you can still see the majestic font.
Between several giant rocks stands a half-human-high shrine. The statues of mountain gods are mottled, and the stone altar is covered with dust. Apparently no one has offered incense for a long time.
"The mountain god bless you..."
The old hunter breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped forward, took out the incense candles he had prepared earlier from his bag, burned the incense and bowed sincerely.
The scholar, the master and the servant turned their heads and couldn't help but be shocked.
Now that the dense fog has completely dissipated, one can see several old stone tombs in the moonlight forest. They are of extraordinary size, but they are broken, collapsed, and covered with moss.
When the old hunter saw it, he was also a little nervous. He quickly lit the Three Incense Sticks, smashed the earth into an altar, inserted it on the ground, clasped his hands together and murmured, "I'm sorry to bother you all, thank you very much."
The master and servant were also frightened so much that they worshiped and then left in a panic.
After leaving this remote mountain road, the old hunter felt much more relaxed. He looked at the road and said solemnly, "We are late and it is not suitable to travel at night."
"Although the front is also remote, there are also villagers who often go there. If I remember correctly, there is a Mountain God Temple, which is perfect for a night's rest."
"Mountain God Temple?"
The book boy swallowed, "Isn't something going to happen..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
The old hunter glared and said, "Under the Mountain God, nothing can cause trouble. It's the safest place."
"Yes, yes, listen to Old Man Wang..."
Encountering Ghost Wall, the scholar obviously has a lot of knowledge.
The three of them continued to move forward, around several bends, and then up a shallow slope. A Mountain God Temple suddenly appeared in front of them. It looked to be quite old.
However, they stopped.
In Mountain God Temple, there was a faint flicker of fire.
"Old Man Wang..." The scholar looked at the hunter.
The old hunter took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "It's probably a passerby. Let's go and spend the night together. Remember to be polite and don't talk nonsense."
Even so, he still removed the bow from his back and drew out an arrow.
He didn't say anything. Sleeping in such a remote old temple late at night could be a pedestrian or a gangster.
Before they even got close, a cold voice came from the temple:
"Hey, why does it look human?"
"Could it be that some cave master gave me snacks?"
The scholar was so frightened that the hair on his back stood up.
This tone has appeared in Strange Tales novels and plays.
He is so familiar!
Even the old hunter was so scared that his legs went weak.
But just as they were about to escape, a gentle laughter came from the temple, "Brother Yan, we are all travelers in the barren mountains, why are you scaring them?"
"Guys, come in, it's safe here."
The three of them looked at each other, a little unsure, but now that the matter was over, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and enter the temple.
I saw a bonfire burning in the temple and two people sitting next to it.
One is wearing a Daoist robe, and the other is a young man wearing black clothes and a white face, with eyes like cold stars and a long knife on his waist. They are Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan.
The old hunter glanced at the feet of the two of them and saw their shadows flickering with the firelight. Then he relaxed a little, cupped his hands slightly and said, "Sorry to bother you two."
"It doesn't matter."
Wang Dao Xuan smiled gently and picked up the teapot on the fire, "It's cold in the mountains late at night, so drink a cup of tea to warm yourself up."
Seeing the three people's defense, they laughed dumbly and said, "Don't worry, we are not bad people, and there are no Misty Sweat Drug inside."
The old hunter nodded, "Master Dao is joking, Guanzhong Blade Wielders, it's so easy to save my life, why Misty Sweat Drug."
Obviously, he recognized Guanshan Knife.
Although there were no utensils, when the three of them went into the mountains, they all prepared bamboo tubes to draw water, which served as makeshift teacups.
After a cup of warm tea, the three of them finally came back to their senses.
"Great tea!"
The scholar tasted it and immediately praised, "It is Yellow Group among Three Famous Teas of Huainan. It is also a new tea this year. The Daoist Master is so elegant."
Wang Dao Xuan smiled dumbly, "I don't understand this, Yan XiaoGe picked it up on the road and spent a lot of money."
When the scholar saw Li Yan's extraordinary appearance and temperament, he immediately fell in love with him and said, "Yan Jiuling, may I ask my brother..."
"Li Yan." Li Yan replied calmly.
Seemingly seeing that the two of them were on good terms, the old hunter was a little relieved. He looked at the fire on the ground and hesitated for a moment, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, but lighting a fire in the temple is disrespectful to the mountain god."
Li Yan glanced at it and said, "Don't worry, the mountain god here has not been worshiped all year round. He left long ago. Otherwise, how would you have met Ghost Wall?"
As soon as these words came out, the three of them suddenly felt terrified.
Wang Dao Xuan quickly comforted him, "Don't worry, it was Yan XiaoGe who noticed something was wrong and helped you out."
So that's it...
The three of them looked at each other, and the old hunter also smiled awkwardly, not daring to say anything else.
He knew that he had met a wise man.
Don't blame Li Yan for his bad tone.
Tianzhushan Mountain is in Fengyang. After they left Wu Family Gully, they rushed all the way to Tianzhushan Mountain.
I climbed the mountain in the afternoon and searched for half a day, but I couldn't find the Dharma Cave mentioned by Wu Lao Si.
Li Yan had no choice but to search around with Wang Dao Xuan, and finally found Mountain God Temple, who wanted to use his ability to communicate with the gods through ultimatums to ask the mountain god.
I never thought that there had been no fragrance here for a long time, and even the mountain god Shengang had long since dissipated. On the contrary, all the mud tires were taken over by negative things, and were scattered by the Li Yan divine drum.
The answer is right at your fingertips, but there is no way to get in. Naturally, I am upset.
Wang Dao Xuan was moved in his heart and asked the hunter, "Old layman, I want to go up the mountain to visit some experts. Do you know something?"
The old hunter hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I dare not deceive the Daoist priest. I live at Tianzhu Village at the foot of the mountain on the right. There are indeed several temples on the mountain and the incense is quite prosperous."
Wang Dao Xuan shook his head slightly, "The abbot in the temple is indeed knowledgeable, but Non-Self we are looking for an expert."
Of course he knew who he was talking about.
He and Li Yan went to visit and wanted to get some information. Unfortunately, although they were Buddhists, they were not Daoists.
"This..."
The old hunter shook his head and said, "To be honest, this is already the back mountain. Many years ago, I heard from my grandfather that there were many masters practicing hermitage, but since some weird things happened, the common people no longer dare to come to the back mountain."
Scholar Yan Jiuling's eyes lit up, "You two, we want to find Luo Gong's lineage. I heard that that person is the great mage Tang Era."
He has some status and knows about Daoism. He even had a vision to seek Daoism when he was young, but he has not awakened Divine Ability, so naturally he has no chance to step into it.
I guessed that the two of them were Daoist sorcerers, and I was immediately itchy.
Wang Dao Xuan was speechless, "Luo Gong's lineage is not here."
Li Yan suddenly said, "Is there a famous Underworld Messenger in the surrounding areas?"
The old hunter frowned slightly, "I don't know, but I have heard about something. A few years ago, several herb collectors in the village lost their souls on the way to North Mountain. Suddenly an old woman appeared and helped them summon the spirits. Then she severely scolded them and prohibited them from going to North Mountain again."
"North Mountain?"
Li Yan frowned, "North Mountain I've searched all over and found no expert."
The old hunter shook his head and said, "You two don't know something. There is a dangerous place in North Mountain. You need to go down from Tianzhufeng Peak to reach it. It is relatively hidden and difficult for ordinary people to find."
Wang Dao Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up, "Thank you, layman."
Li Yan also had a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He remembered something. The warlock named Lu said that there was a junior sister guarding Ancestor Altar.
Helping people summon spirits, old women, most of them!
With the goal in mind, the two of them immediately felt excited, but because there were outsiders around, it was hard to say anything, so they just fell asleep in the corner.
Poor scholar Yan Jiuling, thinking about ruined temples, knights, Daoists, and Daoist masters, it was like a scene from a novel. He was excited and wanted to get acquainted, but he didn't expect that the two of them fell asleep.
He had a look of helplessness on his face, coupled with the hard work of going up the mountain and being frightened, he fell asleep without knowing it...
"Master! Master!"
It seemed that Yan Jiuling had not slept long before he was woken up by the book boy. He woke up in a daze and found that it was already bright outside.
In the old temple, the embers of the bonfire have gone cold, and there are no knights or Daoists.
"What about those two people?"
Yan Jiuling asked quickly.
"Leave early!"
The old hunter said in a muffled voice, "They left before dawn. It's not what I said to you. You are a serious scholar. It's best to stay away from these people in the world."
It seemed that Tianliang had gained confidence. The book boy was ridiculed by the old hunter all the way, and couldn't help but said, "My young master is Recommended Scholar, and he will be an official in the future..."
"Zhu Mo, what nonsense!"
The scholar scolded him. Seeing that the old hunter became cautious, he quickly shook his head and said, "Old Man Wang, I'm just a scholar, you don't need to care."
The book boy shrank his head and said, "Sir, when are we going to leave? It's really not safe in these wild mountains."
"The master asked you to go to Chang'an to meet Lord Li. If you miss the time..."
"We'll leave after swimming Tianzhufeng Peak."
Scholar Yan Jiuling didn't care at all, his eyes were full of pity, and he murmured, "Li Yan, Li Yan, Dayan is asking for one... As expected, only by traveling around the world can you see the mystery of heaven and earth..."
Just as the scholar was sighing, on the steep Tianzhufeng Peak, a figure had climbed down the mountain crevice and gradually disappeared into the thick fog and clouds...