The night was like ink, and the mountain forest was tightly wrapped in a thick layer of rain and fog.
It was dark, damp, and the drizzle was like silk, penetrating through the clothes, bringing a biting chill to the bottom of my heart.
The mountain road is muddy, and everything is quiet. The drizzle hits the fallen leaves, rustling, and there is a sense of openness and distance.
A few lanterns swayed in the rain and fog.
The light from the lantern was dim, as if it was about to be swallowed up by the cold, cold darkness.
A group of travelers were walking in the mountains. They all had different body shapes and were all wearing Straw Cape bamboo hats. Black shadows were surging, like ghosts in the rain at night.
Li Yan bent his fingers slightly, and the raindrops on his bamboo hat were scattered.
He took out his pocket watch and looked at it by the candlelight. It was already the ugly moment (2:30), and he couldn't help but frown slightly.
Sha LiFei next to him was even more dissatisfied and said, "Brother Zhang, if you don't play like this, how far will it be?"
Next to them, it is "Fast Boat Zhang".
The old man also had an embarrassed look on his face, and he quickly raised his hands and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't expect that the village down the mountain had been destroyed by the war."
"I remember there was an inn two miles ahead. The owner was a Tujia, one of the best men in Badong. Other places may be chaotic, but his place will definitely be safe!"
As he spoke, he was already feeling a little uneasy.
He sailed down the Han River from Yunyang, carrying Li Yan and others, and then along the Yangtze River and crossed Zigui County.
Originally, I was going to continue going straight to Fengdu County.
However, on the way, a letter came from his disciple Clippers, saying that something strange happened at his brother's home in Badong. It seemed that Evil Creature was responsible, and two people had died.
The only brother asked for help, so he couldn't just sit back and watch. Li Yan and others happened to be on the boat, so "Fast Boat Zhang" asked them to help.
Badong County is close to Zigui, to the east of the ancient Ba Commandery, close to Zigui County, and next to several Tusi City controlled places.
Although the war has subsided, Tusi City surrendered, and the imperial army has continued to move south, the devastation after the war is still there.
Unlike Yunyang, Badong is a small county with a small population and Han native villages scattered in the mountains.
Rioters were raging and some villages had been razed to the ground.
They did not stay at Badong County. They wanted to go into the mountains to find a place to stay, but the village in the memory of "Fast Boat Zhang" had become ruins, so they had to continue on their way.
Unexpectedly, it started raining just after nightfall.
Seeing "Fast Boat Zhang" feeling uneasy, Li Yan smiled and comforted him, "Brother Zhang is fine. It's just a night trip. We are used to it."
Sha LiFei also laughed, "I didn't say anything right. Don't blame me, brother. Don't worry, we will take care of your brother's matter!"
"Thank you all."
"Fast Boat Zhang" clasped his fists, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Although they are all fellow warriors, it is normal for them to help each other, but the group of people in front of them are no longer what they used to be.
Not to mention, Wang Dao Xuan also taught him some disaster avoidance methods.
Having such an attitude is obviously very flattering.
Li Yan stretched out his legs and shook, and the thick mud flew out from his feet, and interrupted, "I have nothing to do anyway, why don't I tell you about your brother."
"Fast Boat Zhang" hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Young Hero Li, didn't the Daoist Master say that in the morning you don't talk about dreams, in the afternoon you don't talk about killing, and in the evening you don't talk about ghosts and gods."
"I'm still walking into the mountains at night, just in case..."
"Brother Zhang Don't worry."
Sha LiFei picked up his bamboo hat, touched his bald head, and said with a smile, "That's for ordinary people, follow us, there are no taboos!"
"Fast Boat Zhang" Hearing this, he said, "Oh~ my real name is Zhang ShuiSheng, and my brother's name is Zhang LinSheng. He was named after him by the old gentleman in the village."
"Maybe the name is special. I eat on the water, but my brother is a landlubber and has learned some tricks to hide treasures in the mountains..."
"Hey, Brother Zhang is hidden deep enough."
Sha LiFei said happily, "I'm sorry you have a Xuanmen brother, why do you need to ask me about the taboos of sailing?"
"Fast Boat Zhang" shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Brother Sha is joking. My brother is not a monk. He just learned some methods of driving mountains from others and found some delicacies and herbs."
"He was originally from Gelaohui, but later he became lame and married a Tujia girl, so he simply retired from the world and gradually made a fortune in the village through his own tricks. He is also considered a landlord."
"I didn't make it clear in my previous letter. It seemed like I was going into the mountains to hunt for treasure, and I didn't know what was following me back home..."
"That's it."
Li Yan was thoughtful, then looked to the southwest, turned around and whispered, "San Er, that's the boundary of Wushan over there. Please be alert. If you find anything, tell us as soon as possible."
"Yeah." Lu San nodded in a muffled voice.
This is one of the reasons why Li Yan agreed to enter the mountain.
According to what Gu Linzi said, in Wushan, there are also Chu Wu lineage who practice in seclusion and live in seclusion, rarely seeing outsiders.
Perhaps, it can help Lu San gain more inheritance.
There are many masters hidden in Wushan, Baokang County Dragon Walking, and there are also people who secretly help the ghost sect and fight with Yu Longzi.
Originally, Li Yan had no plans to go into the mountains for the time being, but now that he is here, he simply explores the surrounding area, maybe he can find some clues...
While they were talking, they had already traveled two miles.
"Fast Boat Zhang" is indeed right. After turning the corner of the mountain road, an inn gradually appeared in the rain.
This inn is a stilted building built against a mountain. It is quite large and has three floors. In the miserable wind and rain, a few dim lanterns were swaying outside.
Seeing the lights, everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Wang Dao Xuan was a little surprised. He took out his compass and looked around. He nodded and said, "Interesting. This stilt building is in the shape of a tiger sitting on a stilt, with green dragons and white tigers on the left and right, and a black basalt at the back... It's a pity that there is no water in front."
"The Daoist priest has good eyesight."
"Fast Boat Zhang" said quickly, "The owner of this place is called Peng Lao Hai. His ancestor is a famous local Feng Shui master. It turns out that there is a creek in front..."
While they were talking, everyone was approaching the inn.
I saw that this inn was made of pure wood, which had become mottled over the years, with a slight smell of mold, dampness, and decay. Raindrops dripped along the dilapidated eaves and made a ticking sound on the bluestone floor.
There was no one living on the first floor of the stilted building, but there were livestock such as chickens, ducks, and pigs, and two dogs that barked loudly in the dark.
"Stop!"
Before he even got close, a voice sounded from the second floor of the inn.
I saw a man hiding behind a wooden pillar, holding a bow and arrow in his hand. He turned sideways and said coldly, "It's windy and rainy, where are our guests coming from?"
"Fast Boat Zhang" hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "They are Brother Peng's disciples. Don't get me wrong. I, 'Fast Boat Zhang', have been here several times before."
"It turns out to be Senior Zhang."
The man breathed a sigh of relief, put down his bow and arrow, lit a lantern again, and revealed himself, but he was a young man of about half his age, wearing a blue robe.
"Senior Zhang, please come up."
The young man looked friendly, but did not go downstairs to greet him.
He kept calm and kept looking at the shrine next to the mountain path. When he saw that the bell hanging on the red rope did not ring, he was completely relieved.
Li Yan naturally saw this little move.
He didn't care. If he had the guts to open an inn in this deep mountain and old forest, he not only had to guard against people, but also had the means to guard against other things.
Since they were acquaintances and not ghosts, the young man immediately became more polite and went downstairs carrying a lantern to help everyone carry their luggage.
"No need, we can do it."
Sha LiFei smiled and raised his hand to block it.
The young man was also very knowledgeable, so he led the way with a lantern, stepping on the creaking wooden ladder, and asked at the same time, "Senior Zhang, why did you go up the mountain in the middle of the night?"
"Don't mention it."
"Fast Boat Zhang" said with an unlucky look on his face, "I was originally going to spend the night at Yangjia Village, but I never thought that the village had been destroyed, so I had to go up the mountain overnight."
The young man sighed, "There was a war a while ago, and people from Tusi City were stationed there. Because Yangjia Village was a Han village, it was immediately destroyed."
"Alas~ They are all from the village, so I can kill them..."
Entering the second floor, there was the same musty smell.
The young man lit a candle, and a hall suddenly appeared in front of him. It should be a place where guests usually eat and chat. The wooden tables and chairs were old, but they were arranged neatly.
There was a stove for heating in the middle, and an old woman with a withered face was squatting next to it, holding a hatchet in her hand, her face full of vigilance.
"Tian Apo, it's okay, he's human."
The young man quickly said, "They are the master's friends. Let's get some food and drinks first to keep them warm."
"Ah, ah..."
The old woman was actually mute. After making some gestures, she quickly got into the back stove and got busy.
Li Yan and others placed Straw Cape's bamboo hat outside the door, and under the arrangement of the waiter, moved their luggage to Datongpu room.
The waiter pulled the charcoal fire, and everyone sat down around the fire. The chill brought by the rainy night was gradually dissipated.
The grandma moved quickly and quickly brought a large casserole and hung it on the fire. There were cured pig's trotters stewed at the same time as dried potatoes and dried beans, and a lot of soybeans were also added.
"Fast Boat Zhang" picked up the sesame cakes in the basket, put them on the fire to bake, and said with a smile, "Xianye Inn, these are all prepared in advance. Brother Peng's specialty is mutton noodles. I can only satisfy my craving tomorrow."
The waiter also brought a vat of black sandalwood rice wine. Everyone connected the tubes and took a few sips in turn, until their bodies finally became hot.
In the middle of the night, they had no appetite, so they ate some of the bottom pieces at random, and Wu Ba devoured the rest.
"Fast Boat Zhang" then asked, "Where's Brother Peng, haven't you been in the store these days?"
The young man replied, "There was a war a few days ago. Without the salesmen and mountaineers, there was little business in the store. In addition, two of my senior brothers died, so the master went to help them with their funerals."
"Fast Boat Zhang" frowned, "Are you going to be a soldier?"
The young man shook his head and said, "I went to be a soldier, but not here. They went to the beach to fight against Japanese pirates. The bodies were just returned two days ago."
As he spoke, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.
"It turns out they are elite Tujia soldiers."
Li Yan looked solemn, full of respect.
Tujia martial arts has a long history, originating from "Maogus", and is good at using white pole spears, wild swords and shields.
They are very good at dealing with Japanese pirates.
The commander of the army along the coast even wrote from the letter: The Japanese pirates are very skilled in hand-to-hand combat and can defeat those who are close to them. However, Huguang soldiers have the skills of sickles, hooks, spears and crossbows, and must use the elite soldiers of Yongbao Erxuanfu Division.
Some things are not simply black and white. There are rebellious chieftains here, and there are elite Tujia soldiers fighting against the Japanese in the south...
It was already dark, and everyone was in no mood to chat. They ate something to fill their stomachs and then returned to their respective rooms.
Li Yan is meditating in bed.
Outside the window, it was raining continuously at night, and the raindrops knocked on the old window lattice, making this mountain inn even more lonely.
After finishing the practice, Li Yan lay on the bed, took out Dragon Pattern Jade Tablet from his arms and looked at it, his eyes thoughtful.
When he went to Bashu this time, he mainly decided on three things.
The first is to attend the Living Underworld Messenger party, which is in Fengdu.
Nowadays, there are very few people who practice <Luo Feng Scripture>. It is rumored that there is an old senior among Living Underworld Messenger, with the Daoist name Yin Changsheng, who cultivated <Luo Feng Scripture> to a very high level and became a god in Fengdu.
The Living Underworld Messenger party is at the end of the twelfth lunar month of the year. There is still some time before now. You can first ask about Yin Changsheng...
The second is the commission from Dragon Girl.
There is a problem with the Jiang God Great Lord seal. Judging from Longwen Yungui's reaction, Dragon Suppression Stake inside Shennong Peak is loose, which is not the main reason.
If you want to find out what's going on, you have to go to Dujiangyan.
The third is to use the Qingcheng Mountain magic refining tool.
Fortunately, they have made a lot of money during this period and are not in a hurry to take on tasks. They can take it step by step...
When you ask about the return date, Ba Mountain Night Rain rises into the autumn pond.
How can we cut the candle from the west window together and say Ba Mountain Night Rain?
Li Shangyin's song "The Night Rain Sends to the North" talks about Ba Mountain Night Rain, which falls at night and stops during the day.
Although the poem mentions that it is Chengdu Jin Yun Mountain and not the Bashan Yumai, the rules are almost exactly the same.
As soon as it dawned the next day, the night rain had stopped.
Li Yan When he opened the window and took a look, he saw that the mountains were shrouded in thick fog, the trees were shadowy, and nothing could be seen clearly beyond a hundred meters.
Then he smelled the scent of mutton.
The smell was so strong that Li Yan couldn't help but salivate.
After pushing the door open, I found Wu Ba and Lu San who had already gotten up, squatting by the fire, holding the sea bowl and eating happily.
"Don't call me anything good."
Li Yan smiled and quickly ran into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, he saw mutton simmering in a large pot. The white soup was boiling with rotten meat. The aroma almost knocked him over.
There is a small pot with red oil next to it, and the mute old woman is busy on the chopping board. The rolling pin and machete are flying, and the alkaline noodles with even thickness are quickly formed.
Boil the noodles, simmer the red oil with mutton soup, pour the meat sauce on it, and sprinkle with a handful of green coriander. It is simply delicious and delicious.
"Really good craftsmanship!"
Li Yan praised it and quickly took the bowl.
I squatted at the door and ate two large bowls, then I was satisfied.
"Fast Boat Zhang" said proudly, "Everyone, Old Zhang didn't lie to you, right? Every time I come to Badong, I think about this mutton noodles and ask them to prepare it early in the morning."
"Little brother, thank you very much."
Sha LiFei's face turned red after eating, and he wiped his mouth.
"It should, it should."
The young man smiled and nodded, then looked outside the door again, his face becoming a little solemn, "Dear guests, why don't you wait until the fog clears before leaving?"
Li Yan and others were wondering, but "Fast Boat Zhang"'s eyelids trembled slightly, "That thing appeared again? Wasn't it surrendered by the Daoist priest of Lingyun Temple?"
There was some bitterness on the young man's face, "Lingyun Temple was blown up by artillery during the war a while ago, and then this thing appeared again."
Li Yan frowned and asked, "Brother Zhang, what are you talking about?"
"Fast Boat Zhang" looked outside the door and whispered:
"Every time there is a foggy day in Badong Mountain, there is something that appears, known as 'Guest in the Mist', and it often lures people away."
"Some people say that they are the resentful souls of the Ba people back then."
"Some people also say that they are lost people who died in a foreign land..."
Second update in the afternoon