wait a minute

Chapter 488

Huhu——

The sky gradually became brighter, but the outside of Huangming Mountain was shrouded in a sandstorm. It was dark inside, and it was almost impossible to see the five fingers.

Ye Jingtang's face was wrapped in a scarf, with only his eyes exposed. He stood on the sand dune, listening to the movements around him. The sand dunes under his feet shrank visibly under the strong wind, and the whole person seemed to be submerged in the yellow sand.

Under the sand dunes, the skirts of Master Xuanji and Fan Qinghe were blown. Although they were both wrapped in veils, the sand could still be blown to their faces by the all-pervasive strong wind, and they made a few "bah bah" sounds from time to time.

Hua Qingzhi and Lvzhu, on the other hand, had suffered a great disaster. They had never seen such a terrifying Tianwei since they were young. Their faces were pale and they were holding Xuanji's arm with their eyes closed. They were afraid that they would be blown away and buried alive if their hands were loosened. .

Fan Qinghe covered his face with his sleeves. Even if he was very close, he couldn't see Ye Jingtang's figure, so he could only shout:
"How? Did you find it?"

In fact, Ye Jingtang couldn't open his eyes, and it was of no use if he did. He could only rely on his hearing to search for the movement around him. He heard the voice and said:

"It's not nearby. Let's wait until the sandstorm stops before leaving."

"Is nothing going to happen to Birdie?"

The bird has thick white fur and is technically a snow eagle, which is very resistant to freezing but not tolerant of heat.However, Ye Jingtang was not worried and said:

"Those who go out at night can fly high when encountering a sandstorm. They can find the direction no matter what. If they can't catch it, they will return to Huangming Mountain by themselves. But if Li Si and the others rush into the sandstorm, they will definitely not be able to find the birds in the sky. We can wait until the wind stops and then look for it.”

"If you don't come down and hide first, what's the use of standing on it and eating sand."

Ye Jingtang stood on the sand dune and could only eat sand. He slid down the slope and stood in front of the four people. He opened his arms to hug the four of them to help resist the strong wind.

Although Ye Jingtang is tall and large, it is obviously difficult to hold four girls sideways. It seems that they cooperate with Shui'er Qinghe and surround Hua Qingzhi's master and servant in the middle.

Hua Qingzhi's calves were buried in the sand, and she was not as tall as Qing He. Being hugged like this almost meant that her face was washed with milk, and her cheek was pressed against Qing He's soft skin. She couldn't raise her head, so she could only sullenly Voice inquiry:

"Mr. Ye, how long will this wind blow?"

"I don't know, but it will only take half a day at most. It should stop soon..."

Fan Qinghe was hugged by Ye Jingtang, almost face to face. Seeing that Ye Jingtang's mouth was dry when he spoke, he looked at the enchantress opposite:
"I came here in a hurry. The horse stayed on the other side of the mountain and didn't bring much water. Aren't you the Goddess of the River? Why don't you bring some water?"

Master Xuanji is not a real god. In such a big sandstorm, the sand dunes are not stable. How can he find water? He immediately took the wine gourd from his waist and handed it to Qinghe:

"Then, quench your thirst first, and I will take you to find it when the wind stops."

"You don't even want to bring water, but a bottle of wine?"

"Save your drink. If we run out of wine in the desert, I'll turn around and go back to buy it immediately."

Fan Qinghe felt that it was not necessary for the demon girl to turn around, but she would definitely destroy the medicinal wine she had brought. He returned it immediately, took out the water bag from his waist, opened the stopper and fed Ye Jingtang a sip, and then put it to Hua Qingzhi's mouth. side.

Hua Qingzhi had seen Ye Jingtang drink before, so she felt that it would be indirect if she went to pick it up. But with such a big wind and sand, she was afraid that she would have to take a mouthful of sand if she didn't drink it with her mouth. She took a few sips at the moment, and then took another turn. to Green Pearl.

Master Xuanji, on the other hand, was drinking by himself. He noticed that Hua Qingzhi and Luzhu were blown away by the wind and were blinded by the sand. He even took a sip and secretly brought it to the mouth of Ye Jingtang, who was very close.

Ye Jingtang was naturally flattered by this, and quickly lowered his head to put his red lips in his mouth and sipped. Seeing Qing He's slightly cold eyes, he quickly leaned over to feed her.

"Huh~"

Fan Qinghe was divided at the first touch, and wiped his mouth as if he was disgusted...
-
Deep in the sand sea.

A sudden storm stirred up the yellow sand buried above the building, and the ancient stone carvings of auspicious animals poked their heads out from the sand dunes again.

Four figures stood in the shadow of the building outline, taking turns taking the water bag to lubricate their throats. They were all sweating profusely after running for a long time, and they were so hot that they didn't even want to speak.

Li Si, the Minister of Rites, was originally a diplomat. Although he had practiced martial arts since childhood like all the children from rich families, it was only for physical fitness, which was far from adequate. Even though Huang Liansheng had been here to help him, he did not contribute much. Shi was almost paralyzed by the heat, his lips were chapped and he raised his eyes to scan the endless yellow sand;
"What is this place?"

Hua Junchen is just a legitimate son of an aristocratic family. Although he has great skills, he has never been in the world since he was a child. He was led to this ghost place for no reason. He can't even tell the difference between east, west and north. He is inevitably a little stressed:

"If you don't return to the original place, you have already gone hundreds of miles deep. A sandstorm has come down, and you can't tell the east from the north from the north. Chief Huang, are you sure you are sure to get out?"

Huang Liansheng's demeanor was quite elegant. He didn't look like a martial artist or a mountain king, but a Confucian scholar. He was sitting in the shade and resting, and responded:

"I have been crawling around in the desert since I was a child. I have traveled thousands of miles around. I can walk out with my eyes closed."

When Li Si heard this, he felt a little relieved and sat down in front of him:

"Monk Shenchen left last night, why did he suddenly abandon his men and run away?"

Huang Liansheng actually didn't feel anyone approaching. After all, by the time he noticed it, his opponent would have already reached his face. He explained:

"Monk Shenchen is the overlord of the Shazhou Desert. No matter whether he is a true sage or a fake merciful person, he will not let me raise troops in the desert to disrupt the order of the desert. Since he showed his face yesterday, he will not let me leave peacefully. Leaving suddenly and generously can only mean that he has discovered that someone else is coming towards me and knows that I can't escape with my wings."

"Who is coming?"

"It's either Lu Taiqing or Ye Jingtang. The latter is more likely. Ye Jingtang wants to integrate all the ministries in Xihai, so it should be near Liangzhou."

"The Hall of Nightmare..."

Li Si frowned, thought for a moment and then said:

"Chief Huang is not sure how to deal with Night Terror Hall? We have so many people..."

"Senior Zhongsun of your dynasty was defeated by the Pingtian Cult Leader and Ye Jingtang who joined forces, and Monk Shenchen is still nearby. Mr. Li thinks I should stay there and have a showdown with Ye Jingtang and others. Walk?"

Li Si thought the same thing. Ye Jingtang might not be alone. He nodded and changed the topic:
"The imperial court has agreed to your request. Enough armor, weapons, and food for 2 people have been shipped from Zhenbeicheng to the Huangming Mountain area. War horses can be dispatched from the nearby racecourse at any time. When can Chief Huang send troops?"

Huang Liansheng smiled and said: "Yejingtang is the orphan of King Tianlang. It is easy to win over all the ministries in Xihai. Behind him, the Southern Dynasty is supporting with the whole country. If there are no changes in this battle, the Xihai Protectorate will be lost, so I Whatever conditions you propose, your country will agree."

Li Si didn't like Shazhou Barbarian very much and spoke to him in such a robberies tone. However, he didn't feel weird at the moment and just smiled:

"Our government has no shortage of 2 troops, but I'm afraid that Chief Huang doesn't have the ability to gain a firm foothold in the West Sea."

Huang Liansheng picked up the water bag and took two sips, then turned to look at Li Si:
"I said that my eight thousand vanguard troops are already on standby in the north of Huangming Mountain. Do you believe it, Mr. Li?"

"hiss……"

As soon as these words came out, before Li Si could speak, Hua Junchen and Xu Tianying beside him secretly took a breath.

After all, if Huang Liansheng's words are true and the Shatuo tribe really knows the secret military method, then the vanguard troops arriving should be in the mountains northwest of the Wuma tribe.

The Wuma tribe's home base was built on the natural dangers of Huangming Mountain. Tens of thousands of tribesmen lived there, and the young and strong cavalry had already assembled and marched towards the south. Those who were robbed from behind had no time to come back for help.

Although there were only 8000 people, a sneak attack was enough to capture the ancient base of the Wuma tribe. All the young and old in the Wuma tribe were captured, and they would have no choice but to obey Huang Liansheng's orders. The Dongming tribe, which was adjacent to the Wuma tribe, was immediately finished.

What's even more frightening is that the Gouchen tribe has not completely defected to the Southern Dynasty. In such a short period of time, the Southern Dynasty has no time to send a large amount of supplies to the various tribes in the West Sea. As long as the Wuma tribe changes sides and the Dongming tribe relents, the situation in the entire West China Sea can be said to be direct. It turned over.

Li Si was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes showed joy:
"Sure?"

Huang Liansheng said calmly: "Don't be too happy too early. My eight thousand warriors, in order to attack a thousand miles, only brought food, grass and weapons with them, without horses and armor. Once we cross Huangming Mountain, there is no chance to look back, so we can only stay here." To the west of Huangming Mountain. When we cross Huangming Mountain depends on when you will bring the food, grass and weapons."

Li Si was a little disappointed, but this trip still exceeded expectations. He raised a finger:
"Ten days! If it is only transported to the area north of the Wuma tribe, it will only take ten days. We can give the order now to let the eight thousand warriors cross Huangming Mountain. If the baggage arrives one step late, I, Li Si, will cut off the head and give it to Chief Huang As a stool.”

Huang Liansheng stood up with his knees supported: "Let's go, our Shatuo tribe will use all the strength of the clan to fight to the death. If you, the leader, can't even catch this rare soldier, the fate of the country will basically be ruined."

Li Si was already a little exhausted, but now he seemed to have come to life again, holding his robe and trotting on the sand dunes:

"Soldiers are valuable and quick. Li really didn't expect that Chief Huang could be so decisive in using his troops..."

Xu Tianying stood up and followed him, sensing that something was wrong with the situation. However, judging from Huang Liansheng's performance last night, his strength was unfathomable and he did not dare to act rashly. He could only stay a few steps behind and touched the auspicious beast on the sand dune. Stone sculpture, and at the same time quietly placed a snowflake sign on it.

Hua Junchen, on the other hand, followed and pondered, thought for a while and then asked:
"Is Leader Huang a member of the Green Bandit?"

When Li Si heard this, he frowned and looked at Huang Liansheng.

Huang Liansheng did not shy away from this and responded:

"The Green Bandits found me and provided a lot of assistance, but I didn't obey their orders and just borrowed their strength."

Li Si nodded slightly, not doubting this:
"The Green Bandits have always been unpredictable in their actions. They are always sowing discord and encouraging people to rebel. Leader Huang is so talented and ambitious. It's not surprising that they found him..."

……
-
The other side.

Among the endless sea of ​​sand, several Populus euphratica trees grew behind a relatively large sand dune.

Ye Jingtang dug with his bare hands near the roots of the tree. After digging about as deep as one person, he felt the moist soil. While his eyes were filled with surprise, he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief:

"There is indeed water. If we can't dig it out, we have to go back."

Master Xuanji stood under the poplar tree, lightly fanning her hands to relieve the heat:
"Monks don't tell lies. It's natural for me to say it's true."

Fan Qinghe and Hua Qingzhi both squatted on the edge of the pit, watching Ye Jingtang dig the pit. They saw clear water gradually flowing out of the bottom of the pit, slowly gathering into a puddle. Their eyes also showed joy. They had never been optimistic about the witch. Qinghe, I couldn’t help but praise it;

"Do you still have some skills? You are worthy of being reincarnated by the River Goddess."

Luzhu couldn't get in, so he climbed up to a poplar tree with his telescope and looked around. After looking for a long time, he suddenly raised his hand:

"Isn't that a bird?"

Seeing this, Master Xuanji quickly turned around and looked at the sky. As a result, he saw a small dot swooping down in the cloudless sky. It landed on the sand dune and rolled out several times. He found that the sand was scalding his claws. Claw, jumped up quickly again:
"jijiji..."

Master Xuanji knew that Niaoniao must be working hard, so he hurriedly ran to him, picked up Niaoniao, and covered the sun with his sleeves:

"Qinghe, quickly bring the water bag."

Fan Qinghe ignored the night scare, took off the water bag and came to him, holding it in Xuanji's hand to feed the birds to drink water. Even Hua Qingzhi walked over slowly and stroked her hair to comfort:
"Drink slowly, are you too hot?"

The birds are covered in fur, which is equivalent to wearing a cotton-padded jacket in the desert. They must be very hot, but fortunately, they flew back during the day and flew back as soon as the sandstorm dissipated, so they were not too hot.

After drinking a lot of water, the bird calmed down, spread its wings and made "chichichi..." gestures.

Master Xuanji had been with Niaoniao for so long, so he understood the meaning clearly and translated:
"It said four people, more than 70 miles to the northwest." Ye Jingtang poked his head out of the pit like a gopher: "If there are four people, Monk Shenchen should not be among them. After getting the water, we have to set off quickly. If If there is another sandstorm, Li Si and the others will run too far, and the birds will not be able to chase them. There is no water in the desert and they dare not fly too far."

Seeing this, Shui'er and Qinghe didn't hesitate. They took the water bags they carried with them. After the water became clear, they filled them all and hung them around their waists. Then they set off together to continue heading north.

For the sake of speed, Ye Jingtang still carried Hua Qingzhi on his back, while Fan Qinghe held Lvzhu in his arms.

It was obvious that the birds couldn't fly on such a hot day, so Xuanji made a large temporary basket with branches and covered it with gauze to provide shade, allowing the birds to squat inside and only stick out their heads to guide the direction.

The group of people headed northwest like this, quickly speeding through more than [-] miles of desert. Before they got close to the large sand dune where the remains of the building were exposed, Ye Jingtang discovered a faintly reflective bright spot on the dune.

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang picked up the speed with Hua Qingzhi on his back. After a few ups and downs, he arrived at the top of the sand dune. He looked at the stone carvings of auspicious beasts that had been buried for who knows how many years. It could be seen that there was a snow lake logo on the top of the stone carvings. It looked like a cloud cutter. The palace's hidden weapon had some marks carved on the side with his fingers.

Hua Qingzhi lay on her back, covering Ye Jingtang with her sleeves, and carefully looked at the traces:

"It looks like an arrow."

Ye Jingtang felt that the arrow was engraved in a hurry, and he must have walked in a hurry. He looked at the direction of the sun, then turned back and asked:

"It refers to the north. The Shatuo tribe is not in the north, right?"

Zhenren Xuanji traveled all over the desert and knew the tribes in the desert very well. He responded:

"The Shatuo tribe is scattered near several oases in the northwest of Shazhou. If you go from here, you should be due west."

"Which way to the north?"

"To the north is the desert. Unless you cross Huangming Mountain on the way, it will be blocked by the mountains. The ancestors of the Qinchi tribe went to explore the road. There was no way back to the desert, so they chose to migrate from the south of Huangming Mountain until they reached the foot of Tianya Peak. "

Ye Jingtang found that Li Si and others were in completely different directions, so he was naturally a little confused and asked:

"Is it possible they are lost?"

Fan Qinghe shook his head and said: "Huang Liansheng is a native of the desert. It is impossible that he can't even tell the direction by the sun. He should be heading north."

Ye Jingtang nodded. The weather at noon did not allow Niaoniao to go out to investigate the situation. After some consideration, he still chased towards the north with Hua Qingzhi on his back...
-
At the same time, Wangheya.

Wangheya is the junction of Liangzhou and Shazhou. In ancient times, it was originally a valley between mountains. The rolling river came from Shazhou and merged into the Red River in the east, and then into the sea. However, since the great changes in the mountains and rivers, the rivers in the past have It has long since ceased to exist, leaving only a withered yellow Gobi desert burned by the scorching sun.

Although the environment is very harsh, Hongshan Mountain is so high that it is impossible for ordinary caravans to climb over it. They can only walk to Wangheya to exit the customs. For this reason, even in wartime, there are still many caravans and camels coming and going, and there is even a caravan built in the middle of the river valley. A small town of decent size.

At noon, the sun was too fierce, and the caravans traveling back and forth stayed in the town to replenish water supplies and wait for the sun to set before setting off.

Outside a small inn in the town, monk Jingkong held a copper bowl and asked for water from the diners. Then he went under the eaves outside and said respectfully:

"Abbott, the weather is so hot, please drink some water."

Zen Master Shenchen held a brass Zen staff in his hand and stood quietly in the shade, looking at a horse team coming from afar. Facing the filial piety of his disciples, he spoke in a kind voice:

"You drink first."

Monk Jingkong smiled humbly, then reluctantly picked up the copper bowl and drank the first water after escaping from Duolan Valley.

As for why he is here, with Zen Master Shenchen beside him, it is easy to explain - because he is on the way.

Monk Jingkong found out that Ye Jingtang was coming to kill him. He was so frightened that he survived the disaster. His first reaction was to take a detour from Liangzhou and Shazhou and run back to Shatuo tribe.

But he obviously forgot that Abbot Shenchen had to go back to Thousand Buddha Temple after finishing his work!

Monk Jingkong and a dozen of his followers rushed out of Duolan Valley towards the south. Before they had run more than ten miles, they saw a great monk holding a Zen staff, walking leisurely towards Liangzhou.

At that moment, Jingkong seemed to have enlightenment.

I understand what "fate, indescribable" means, and why no matter how powerful the demons are, they can't escape from Buddha's Five Fingers Mountain.

The dozen or so people following behind realized that Monk Shen Chen was in front. They only regretted that the horses under their crotches had lost two legs, so they turned around and ran towards the West Sea.

But Monk Jingkong obviously had no need to run away, so he went up to meet him honestly, and then helped carry the Zen stick home together.

Yesterday, Jingkong was planning to keep himself and let Li Si and others go because he knew that the leader would definitely rescue him when he turned around.

But now that the leader is being chased by the King of Hell, and the abbot feels that he is dead, then he is probably dead.

If the leader dies, he will definitely not be able to leave Qianfo Temple for the rest of his life. At this moment, the despair in Monk Jingkong's heart is something that only the two kings of Yanzhou can understand.

"Ton ton ton..."

After Monk Jingkong drank half the bowl of water, he handed the copper bowl over again. After struggling for a long time, he finally said:

"Abbott, this disciple has practiced Buddhism in the temple for more than ten years and has sincerely repented..."

Zen Master Shenchen took the copper bowl and pointed to the shadow cast by the eaves in front of him, with a calm voice:

"After you return to secular life, if you can live in seclusion in the countryside, marry a wife and have children and live out your life quietly, you can leave now."

"..."

Monk Jingkong looked at the shadow line close at hand, his lips moved slightly, but he hesitated.

After all, after secretly learning martial arts, he was able to serve under Huang Liansheng, and also served as the foreign envoy to Beiliang. Naturally, what he wanted in his heart was to be granted the title of marquis, Prime Minister, all the lands and territories, and to enjoy all the wealth and honor in the world.

Let him retire and go to the countryside to marry a wife and have children and become a simple common man. What is the difference between this and being imprisoned in the Thousand Buddhas Temple until death?
Zen Master Shenchen waited for a moment with his Zen staff in his hand, and then spoke again:

"When you took away that bucket of sesame oil money, I asked you if you would steal it again if I let you go. Your reaction at that time was just like this moment.

"The fact that you are hesitant rather than duplicitous means that you still have the heart of Buddha, but you just haven't let it go yet. As long as you let it go, you are actually more suitable to wear this cassock than me."

Monk Jingkong was a little speechless: "I will never keep my word in the future. If the abbot doesn't arrest me, then I will leave immediately."

Monk Shenchen said: "The best of the 36 strategies is to leave. Even if I want to arrest you, I have to wait until you break your promise. Now that the road is in front of you, why don't you leave?"

"Abbott, you know me well and know that I will break my word...forget it, this is already nonsense. You are a saint, and you are right no matter what you say."

Monk Shenchen shook his head:

"I am also a layman, who knows that only when the six roots are pure and the four elements are empty can he be a Buddha, but like you, he has selfish desires that he cannot let go of.

"Although I have karma in my heart and it is difficult to achieve positive results, you have a chance, so if your heart is not empty, I will not let you return to secular life until you let it go."

Monk Jingkong thought for a moment: "Abbott, does this count as imposing on others what you don't want others to do?"

"Calculate."

"..."

Monk Jingkong opened his mouth, then spread his hands and said:

"You can't let go of the two saints on the mountain, but I, a layman, can let go? If you want me to be a free laborer, just say so. Monks don't tell lies, so why are you beating around the bush?!"

"If you can't let it go, it's just labor without money; if you let it go, you will become a Buddha."

"you……"

Monk Jingkong was so angry that he snatched the copper bowl over without giving the abbot any mercy.

After all, a landlord would never beat his own donkey to death, so what was he afraid of?
Monk Shenchen didn't mind this at all, he just told the story:
"When I was born, the country of Yan was in turmoil. My parents died in the war when I was six years old. I had no time to care about them. I only thought about how to live.

"While wandering, I discovered that the people who can thrive in troubled times are all martial artists, so I started practicing martial arts. It took me three years to finally become a famous martial artist from all over the country..."

Monk Jingkong was originally too lazy to listen to these teachings, but after hearing this, he couldn't help but turn his head:

"What? Three years? You traveled far and wide at the age of nine?"

Zen Master Shenchen raised his hand to indicate to himself:

"Martial Saints, they all have extraordinary talents, so don't be surprised."

Monk Jingkong took a breath, waved his hand and said:
"Okay, you can continue talking."

"At that time, I was running rampant in ten miles and eight villages. I killed people with my hands when I was eleven or twelve years old. I never went hungry for a long time. But unfortunately, my martial arts progress became slower and slower. I think it was a problem of my blind practice. I wanted to become the overlord of one party. , I still had to find a master, so I looked for a master everywhere, and finally met an old monk.

"At that time, I saw that the old monk was very powerful, so I wanted to become a disciple. The old monk asked me what I wanted to do in martial arts. I said that I wanted to be the best in the world and enjoy all the wealth in the world."

Monk Jingkong frowned and said: "Then the old monk took you back to work as a coolie? You are not allowed to leave until you let go?"

Zen Master Shenchen shook his head quickly: "I am a really eminent monk, how can I be unreasonable like me?"

"You still know?!"

Monk Jingkong's eyes were stunned, but he was used to it now and asked:
"How did a real eminent monk tell the abbot?"

"The old monk said that being the best in the world is not considered powerful. Only the Buddha who knows and sees the three realms truthfully is called supreme. Being rich and noble in the world is not considered free. The immortals who jump out of the three realms and do not enter reincarnation are truly free.

"I asked how I could become an immortal and become a Buddha. The old monk took me to Thousand Buddhas Temple, pointed to a stone and said - you will practice here in the future, and when you let go of this stone in your heart, you will become a Buddha; if you see through this A piece of stone becomes an immortal."

After hearing the last words, Monk Jingkong became curious:
"So the abbot still can't let go of the stone. Want to become an immortal?"

Monk Shenchen watched the convoy escorted by Hei Yamen pass outside the inn, then turned and walked out of the town:
"Yes. So, I am also a layman."

"No, if you put it down, you are a Buddha and you see through it, you are an immortal; if it were me, it would be 'if you let it go, you are a Buddha, but if you can't let it go, you are a coolie'. Do you think this is fair?"

"The person I met was an eminent monk, but the person you met was not."

"..."

Monk Jingkong was speechless.
-
Recently, fewer and fewer people want to be admitted to the Book of Life and Death, and it’s not easy to wait until one:
I recommend a book called "After clearing the game, start the second week". If you are interested, you can read it~
(End of this chapter)