Liaozhai Great Sage

Chapter 490 Longevity Town

"Let's sail~!"

A shout sounded at the ferry, and several large ships moved slowly, leaving the ferry and drifting towards the river.

These ships carried Li Xiuyuan, Fu Tianchou and his party, and they were going upstream to the capital.

As soon as the boat moved, there was a huge black shadow dormant underwater, manipulating the water flow, secretly controlling the hull, making these boats move forward slowly, neither fast nor slow, trying to reach the capital in ninety days.

Li Xiuyuan was in an empty cabin at the moment, and he had already ordered the itinerary on the road. If anyone asked him, he would say that he had something to do and left temporarily, and he would catch up with another boat later.

He came to the window, took out an origami crane made of folded yellow paper from the ghost king's cloth bag, and threw it forward.

The paper crane was blown away by the river wind, but when it was three feet away from him, the paper crane suddenly came alive by flapping its wings, and after turning around the river, it quickly flew east-west. The speed was no less than that of a bird, and it suddenly turned into a black spot in the distance.

"The speed is fast enough." Li Xiuyuan's eyes moved, and he took a step forward, but his figure disappeared into the cabin immediately.

When it reappeared, it was already on the riverside.

"Give me a ride and catch up with the paper crane in front." Li Xiuyuan said, and he took out an old calligraphy and painting.

A white light flew out and landed on the ground, turning into a handsome dragon horse.

Turning on the horse, the divine horse neighed like a dragon, stepped on the wind with all four hooves, jumped up as if it was about to rise into the air, and carried Li Xiuyuan to chase the paper crane at an unimaginable speed.

Although the paper crane is fast, every time it flies far away, it will wait for Li Xiuyuan to catch up, and continue to fly forward after catching up.

The dragon horse is not an ordinary horse either, it has the speed to ride the wind, and it can walk on water without sinking, like walking on flat ground, even mountains and dangerous peaks can be easily browsed, but Li Xiuyuan used it as an ordinary horse on weekdays, making the dragon It's just that the horse's ability can't be shown.

"I don't know where the master's gate is, I hope it's not too far away." Li Xiuyuan thought to himself.

This time he is seeking the Dharma, not the Tao.

He has his own Tao, what he lacks is the law to protect the Tao.

So the purpose of this trip is to go back to the teacher's school to learn a little magic. , so as to deal with the affairs of the capital.

Even the centipede dare not say that it can subdue all the ghosts and demons in the capital, and Li Xiuyuan naturally cannot be fully sure.

Demon, what is powerful is not Taoism, but the ability to deceive people.

Don't look at Huagu's White Lotus Sect, which has tens of thousands of followers, but the Maitreya Sect King, who has been a thousand-year-old toad spirit, can't see how profound his Taoism is, and it is also a self-contained sect that confuses the people.

It's just that a few evil spirits united together can rebel and cause chaos. This is because Li Xiuyuan calmed down the chaos in time, and the enemy made some mistakes in decision-making to win the battle. is at stake.

This is the scariest place for demons.

Although the evil spirits in the capital will not bewitch people to rebel, they are also very terrifying when used in other places.

Because there is still an imperial power there.

Even Li Xiuyuan had to be shackled by the imperial power.

"Hoohoo~!"

The gust of wind whistled in my ears, and the speed of the paper crane was getting faster and faster, and the more it flew, the more anxious it was.

Li Xiuyuan felt that he had traveled at least a few hundred miles, but he didn't know why he hadn't arrived at the place where the master's gate was.

suddenly.

At this time, the paper crane suddenly slowed down and flew towards an inconspicuous small town at the foot of a big mountain.

"Where is the town, don't you go to Shimen?" Li Xiuyuan frowned.

The town is called Changshou Town.

Because most of the old people in the town live long lives, it got its name.

And because this town is hidden under the mountains, in a remote place, ordinary people have never heard of it, so it is not known to outsiders.

The small town is like a paradise, despite the turmoil outside and the suffering of the people, it will not be affected in the slightest. Even the officials sent here are deeply infected by the folk customs here, and they will not stay away for a long time. Connected with the outside world, but independent of the world.

The most famous thing in Changshou Town is not the longevity of the local people, but a mountain.

This mountain is called Xianren Mountain.

Some people who entered the mountain occasionally saw immortals sitting on the peaks that ordinary people could not go up to, breathing in the purple air facing the sun and the sun, and some people saw immortals playing chess on the cliffs of Baizhang in the mountains, and even Occasionally, an expert in Taoist robes would go down the mountain to apply medicine to save people.

A young scholar who went to the mountain to seek the Tao once said that there is a temple in the mountain where the gods live.

But some people went into the mountain curiously to find the Taoist temple, but they couldn't find it at all. They only saw the mountain surrounded by thick fog, and after entering the mountain, they turned around and returned to the original place.

However, the news that there are immortals living here spread like wildfire.

Every year, many literati and tourists come to visit the immortal to seek Taoism.

Some people go to the mountain to worship the immortal master, and come down the mountain after a few years, wearing Taoist robes and being able to cast spells.

In the prosperous age, there were still few people who sought the Tao, but now in the Song Dynasty, the court was fatuous, and the dawn was suffering. There were more people who visited the immortals to seek the Tao. Some people who could not survive hoped to take this opportunity to seek a shelter. It's like being a monk in a temple.

But I heard that monks are not close to women and cannot pass on the family line, but those who practice Taoism can't help it.

Therefore, the common people are more willing to practice Taoism in their hearts. In the future, when the spells are completed, it will be good to earn a fortune and return to their hometown.

Today, Changshou Town is as peaceful as usual. The people are working hard, and the hawkers are doing business. There are not many people in the town, but it is full of vitality.

"Bah~!"

However, just this afternoon, a yellow origami crane suddenly flew over from a distance, circled over Changshou Town, then froze and fell from the sky.

The paper crane landed and could no longer fly. It seemed that the mana had been exhausted, or the mission had been completed.

"Tata~!"

The horseshoe made a crisp sound when it landed on the smooth bluestone road, and a dragon colt rode the wind and landed in front of Changshou Town.

Sitting on the dragon colt was a young prince, dressed in brocade clothes, with a sword hanging from his waist, with a tall and straight figure, sword eyebrows and bright eyes, looking forward to a breathtaking majesty.

Like a prince in the mortal world, but also like a god in the sky, not the temperament and eyes that an ordinary man should have.

"This is the master's gate? It doesn't look like it. It can't be that my master's spell is out of order. He just pointed a way." Li Xiuyuan frowned and looked up.

But I saw the words "Changshou Town" hanging on the antique archway in front of me.

The handwriting is ethereal and lively, with a strong breath of dust.

"." Li Xiuyuan's mouth twitched slightly when he saw the word.

The handwriting is very good, but he can recognize this word. It was written by his master. There is no mistake. My master has the worst habit of writing, that is, he likes to add a tadpole at the end, which looks like a stamp. Same, very recognizable.

"Since my master has left his words here, then there is nothing left for the master to run away here." He suddenly paid attention to the big mountain behind Changshou Town.

Surrounded by clouds and mist, there is a golden light floating, revealing an unusual atmosphere.

If there is a mountain gate, it must be in the mountain.

"Go and have a look in the mountains." Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, he got off his horse, walked first but walked through the town and rode up the mountain.

It is his habit to dismount first when entering the city, unless it is an emergency.

Because the horse's temperament is unpredictable, it is easy to hurt people, although Long Ju doesn't know it, but he is used to it.

When he passed by a tea shop, suddenly there was a voice: "Brother in front, you look like a traveler, and you come from a long way, you must have come here to ask for immortality, it's getting late now , at this time, if you enter the mountain, you may encounter poisonous snakes and beasts. It's not right, it's not right, why don't you take a day off

, Tomorrow, we will go up the mountain together to seek Taoism? "

"Huh?" Li Xiuyuan took a patrolling look.

But he saw a young Taoist in Taoist robes in the tea shop, greeting him with a whisk in his hand.

"Is this priest talking to me?" Li Xiuyuan asked back with a salute.

"Hehe, I'm not a Daoist anymore. My name is Cheng Le. I'm a scholar from Wen County. I'm tired of the intrigue among the secular world, so I came here with my good friend Zhou Cai, just to ask for immortality." This is Cheng Le. The Taoist who was born was not a Taoist, but a scholar.

After he finished speaking, a man next to him also stood up and saluted, dressed like a literati.

"It turned out to be Brother Cheng and Brother Zhou. Li Xiuyuan is a scholar from Guobei County, and he came here to learn magic under the guidance of an expert." Li Xiuyuan also reported his family name.

Cheng Le smiled and said: "That's true. I saw it when I saw Brother Li before. Brother Li was eager to go up the mountain to visit the immortals. What is it if he is not asking for immortals? Meeting is fate. It's cold outside, why don't you come in for a drink Hot tea to warm you up?"

Li Xiuyuan thought about it for a while, and felt that it was really getting late. The nights and nights of this winter are so fast, it would not be too late to go to the mountains tomorrow morning, so let's rest in this county today.

"In this case, it's better to be respectful than obedient." He saluted, and then walked into the teahouse.

"Hehe, it seems that Brother Li is also a straightforward, free-spirited person, not that vulgar. You and I are both like-minded people, so we shouldn't be so ignorant. We will worship at the mountain gate tomorrow, maybe we will still be brothers from the same sect." Cheng Le laughed.

Li Xiuyuan nodded and replied, "That's the reason."

He felt that this scholar in a Taoist robe was a good person, very straightforward, and friendly to others. This personality was indeed very suitable for seeking immortality.

The most important thing for a cultivator is to have a broad mind, and not to be too obsessed, otherwise it is easy to fall into robbery and die.

"Brother Cheng is a scholar with a great reputation, why is he dressed like a Taoist?" Li Xiuyuan asked after sitting down.

Cheng Le smiled and said: "Before coming here, I changed into a Taoist robe and took a fly whisk. Even if I couldn't succeed in asking the immortals, it's not bad to live here in seclusion for the rest of my life."

Li Xiuyuan nodded, feeling the determination of Chengle Qiuxian.

He is a real person who sees through the world of mortals, is tired of fighting in the world, and hopes to escape into the mountain gate.

"Brother Li is from Guobei County? When I passed by, I stayed at Lanruo Temple outside Guobei County for a few nights. How is the abbot there, Master Kong?" Cheng Le asked curiously.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said: "Master Liaokong has already sat down, Lanruo Temple has also been abandoned, and now it has been converted into another temple."

Cheng Le was shocked and said: "Why is this? Isn't Lanruo Temple a good temple? Why did it fall into disuse after only a few years of work?"

"Brother Cheng has been to Lanruo Temple and should know that there is a thousand-year-old banyan tree on the mountain behind Lanruo Temple." Li Xiuyuan said with a suppressed voice.

"I know, I know, many pilgrims hang marriage cards on the sacred tree to pray, and Xiaosheng also went to see it." Cheng Le nodded repeatedly.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head slightly and said: "The thousand-year-old banyan tree has become a spirit, and turned into a tree demon to cause trouble in Lanruo Temple. Master Liaokong sat and transformed in the back mountain, leaving a golden body to suppress the tree demon, but failed, and hundreds of people died as a result."

"What? There is such a thing." Cheng turned pale with shock.

Recalling the scene when he stayed at Lanruo Temple a few years ago, he did not expect that in the past few years, a thousand-year-old tree spirit appeared in Lanruo Temple, killing hundreds of people.

"The monster harms people, so what happened?" Zhou Cai who was next to him was surprised and couldn't help asking.

Li Xiuyuan sighed: "I am a local scholar, so I can't ignore it. I brought a few people, bought enough kerosene, and set fire to the back mountain. The tree demon was burned to death. I didn't forget it before I died." Curse me, I feel a little scared when I think about it, it was really dangerous at that time."

"Well done, brother Li, this fire is good, that damned tree demon is killing people, I should have burned that banyan tree a few years ago, but I didn't know that the sacred tree would turn into a tree demon to harm people. Cheng Le said excitedly, admiring Li Xiuyuan's move.

Zhou Cai nodded again and again, thinking that this move was very good, otherwise he would set fire to the mountain and burn the tree demon to death.

"Hmph, what a load of nonsense."

Suddenly, there was a cold snort, and a young Taoist in a Taoist robe came in from outside with a cold face: "The thousand-year-old tree demon has become a spirit, and his Taoism has been at least a thousand years. Such spirits are already comparable to gods. Calling the wind and calling the rain, flying into the sky and escaping from the ground is not a problem, how could it be you alone

A scholar can be burned to death with a single fire, and a person full of lies still wants to ask immortals?Pindao advises you to go back and forth wherever you come from, and don't even think about going to the mountains to seek Taoism. "

Seeing this Taoist, Cheng Le and Zhou Cai were startled in a hurry, stood up hastily, bowed and saluted and said, "Wan Sheng met Daoist Ling Fengzi."

Ling Fengzi?
Li Xiuyuan heard that his name had some meaning of a Taoist. Could it be that this person is a Taoist priest on the mountain?

"The Taoist priest's words are wrong. I didn't lie. It was indeed I who set fire to the tree spirit to death. Why did the Taoist priest think I was talking nonsense?" Li Xiuyuan frowned slightly.

"Just you?"

Ling Fengzi looked at Li Xiuyuan with a little sneer and said: "Even a hanged ghost can kill you, and you can deal with the thousand-year-old monster?"

"Haven't the Taoist heard that evil can never prevail against righteousness? I do justice, and I have the help of heaven. That tree demon has harmed countless people, his luck has declined, his fortune has been exhausted, and he will die under my fire." It's not impossible." Li Xiuyuan said.

"Let's not hear that a golden elixir has been swallowed, so my fate is up to me? The thousand-year-old monster is not inferior to the golden elixir, and the heavens can't kill it. Fude and luck are just deceiving you who don't know the truth. Man, you scholar is full of lies, and you still keep saying that the dryad died in
In your hands, today's poor Taoist wants you to reveal your flaws, reveal the truth, and let others see how you deceive others. "After Ling Fengzi finished speaking, he took out a talisman from the Taoist robe.

Holding it in his hand, he muttered something, and shouted, the talisman flew out and ran towards Li Xiuyuan.

(End of this chapter)