The rotating axle creaked on the rugged road. The old cow looked at the lush mountains and rivers, raised his head and shouted excitedly.
I know, I know...
The carriage was shaking with the wheels, and amidst the annoying chirping of cicadas, Chen Yuan sat slightly leaning against the carriage door, holding a book and reading the story above. Occasionally, he would curl up his sleeves and use his fingers to pull up the dark wood beside him to pull the carriage.
The old cow that is moving forward makes a circle and taps its butt lightly to speed up its pace.
At this time, we have entered the territory of Lingzhou. There is no official road in the past, only this rugged dirt road. However, along the way there are beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers. Among the rolling green mountains and fields, there are flocks of birds circling the ridges and misty clouds.
Floating on the top of the mountain, when passing by the cliff at the foot of the mountain, there is a unique scenery of deafening waterfalls.
Along the way, Chen Yuan was bored and looked through the art of refining treasures. Sometimes he remembered the formula of sword control and tried it, but he did not study it in depth. He found that the prerequisite for sword control was to learn the art of controlling objects. Before that,
Chen Yuan had already learned how to practice the first level of Sword Qi Hengkong, so he gave up and used it as a pastime, urging Lao Niu to use it along the way.
After passing the roaring waterfall, the wind suddenly blew through the forest beside the road, and a figure instantly penetrated into the forest, causing birds to fly randomly.
Chen Yuan put down the book and looked towards the forest over there and shouted: "Master?!"
In an instant, the hanging tree cage swayed, and the old man in ragged clothes fell to the roadside. His messy gray hair was stained with a lot of bird feathers and leaves. He was holding two big orioles in his hands and was chirping.
Keep shouting.
The crazy old man raised his hands with a ferocious expression and showed the two birds to his apprentice.
"The two of them seduced each other into becoming teachers!"
Chen Yuan was stunned for a moment, "Seduce...seduce?"
"That's right!" the crazy old man looked at the two birds with a fierce look in his eyes. When the bullock cart came, he walked aside and said.
"Master was running smoothly on the mountain and was enjoying himself. These two birds didn't know good and bad, so they flew over and pecked Master. Disciple, look at how fat they are. How can any bird be so fat? Isn't this just seduction?
?!Although I’m a bit crazy as a teacher, I can’t resist temptation. How can there be such a test?”
"Yes, yes, everything Master said is right."
As long as Master likes it, it still depends on his temperament. As long as he doesn't keep asking Chen Yuan when to give him a loud and majestic name.
After walking forward for a while, the dirt road gradually opened up, and there was a fork in the road from another mountain. There were many vehicle track marks on this road.
Sure enough, about ten feet ahead, there was a grass shed with a flag with the word "tea" written on it. However, there was no business in the store today. There was only an old man sitting on a stool at the entrance of the shed, holding his chin and listening to the cicadas in the mountains.
Ming, the head is pecked one by one.
Perhaps he was quite sensitive to the wheels. As soon as he heard the rotation and friction of the wheel axles, the old man woke up immediately. Seeing the approaching ox cart, he hurriedly got up and greeted: "Sir, are you still far from Yongzhou? You might as well come in and have a drink."
Drink the herbal tea to cool off the heat, and it’s not too late to leave after filling your stomach!”
"Okay, here are two bowls of herbal tea and six cakes." Chen Yuan stopped the cart, helped the master down, handed the two birds to the old man at the tea shop, and asked him to help pluck out the feathers and remove the internal organs.
The bird was roasted in the stove.
By the way, I asked if there was a Danxia Mountain in Lingzhou and how far it was from here. The old man brought some herbal tea over and laughed and said: "The guest is going in the wrong direction. This road is to Shangyong.
If you see the dirt road that runs parallel to the back, your Majesty, please go along that road later."
It turned out that he had gone to the wrong place. Chen Yuan laughed a little. He had come all the way from the Canglan River and it was the first time he had gone to the wrong place.
While the crazy old man on the side was tapping his chopsticks, the old man over there was soaking in hot water and lying on two birds. While plucking their feathers, he turned around and asked, "Sir, are you going to visit relatives in Danxia Mountain?"
"No, just passing by!"
"I'm just passing by. I heard from a man passing by that there was a big snake over there. Someone was collecting medicine in the mountains and saw a white snake. The scales were almost like a man's fist."
"Did that hurt anyone?"
"I've never heard of that." The old man cleaned up the bird meat, skewered it with branches, and inserted it next to the fire of the earthen stove. He wiped his hands and continued: "It can be said that it has a nose and eyes. Someone saw the snake coiled on a big rock with his own eyes. A piece of sun-drenched scales and white flowers can scare a person to death. Sir, think about it, how could such a big snake grow so big if it didn't eat people?"
Chen Yuan listened to what he heard from the mountains as if it were a story in a strange book. After all, snakes with thick arms may be rumored to be snake spirits as thick as humans.
I chatted some more with the old man, filled my stomach, paid for tea and meals, and then turned back along the road the other man mentioned. After walking for seven or eight miles, I could see a lot of smoke from people on this road. Mountain people carrying baskets came down the mountain in groups of two or three, most of them from nearby villages. After Chen Yuan stopped the car and asked them about the name of the mountain, a woodcutter who knew it pointed to the mountain behind the village in the distance.
"Go over to that one and you'll be there."
It didn't look very far, but in fact, ordinary people might not be able to reach it even after dark. Chen Yuan raised his head and looked at the clock. When he reached a place with few people, a speed talisman fell on the old cow's butt, and he immediately accelerated his speed. We quickly bypassed the mountain behind the village and arrived at the so-called Danxia Mountain before dusk.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, the towering peaks in the distance are surrounded by clouds, which coincide with the setting sun. It seems that several beams of rays of light are pouring along the top of the mountain, covering the mountains and forests, and falling directly at the foot of the mountain.
I am used to seeing rolling hills and steep mountains, but this scene is quite different.
Chen Yuan stopped and watched for a while. When the sun began to set and his vision became cloudy, he led Lao Niu to the nearby mountain road.
The night was sinking, the mountains were humid, and a layer of mist gradually appeared.
I don't know how many years people have walked on the mountain road at my feet. The dry ground has long been devoid of grass, leaving large and small yellow mud footprints. Chen Yuan's eyes are powered by magic, and he can see things in the dark forest. In front, drag the oxen and follow behind, so that you don't lose your footing and slip, causing the oxen and the cart to fall down.
Of course, he was just showing off. Even if he loosened the rope, the old cow could keep up smoothly.
swish swish...
With the sound of footsteps stepping on fallen leaves, I followed the mountain road. Gradually the terrain became stable. I should have reached the mountainside, where the terrain was much wider.
The clear moonlight was pouring into the gaps in the forest. In the quiet and gloomy place, Chen Yuan vaguely saw a fire burning in front of him. When he got closer, he saw an abandoned mountain temple standing in the darkness. In the door that had long since disappeared, the door was supposed to be The existing bronze furnace was also moved away and sold by some libertine who was short of money.
Inside the temple, a group of rough men in simple clothes were gathered in front of a bonfire, surrounded by baskets. Looking at the boiling iron pot, someone filled a bowl of soup and sat down to drink.
"I searched half of the mountain today and gained a lot. Let's walk around early tomorrow morning and be more agile with our hands and feet. We can finish picking early so that we can go to the next one. We have to go back to help when the autumn harvest comes."
"There are more weeds in this mountain than in other places?"
"Haha, I knew it when I came here. People from the local villages didn't dare to come here because they said there was a big snake. It's a joke. Today we have walked half of the mountain. Did you see it?"
The bearded man who spoke also scooped up a bowl of soup, and was about to eat the dry food in his hand. He heard some movement outside, and looked at his companions. One of the tall and thin men was holding on to the waistband of his trousers.
The hatchet went to the door.
They had to be cautious when sleeping in the mountains at night.
After a while, a high-roofed bullock cart slowly stopped at the temple. An old man and a young man were seen coming down. The tall and thin man at the door pressed the hilt of his knife and looked at the two people expressionlessly.
"who are you?"
"I was on my way at night and saw the fire here, so I came over to take a look and stay here." Chen Yuan dusted off his clothes and said to the man, while also politely bowing his hands to the people inside.
, when he saw several baskets full of herbs inside, he knew the identity of the other party.
But the accent seemed a little different from the locals who asked for directions before, so they must have come from outside.
The bearded man inside was also sizing up Chen Yuan. He was wearing simple robes and was not very old. There was an old man beside him who didn't look very smart. He didn't look like Jie Dao's eyes and ears.
Putting down the bowl with a smile, he stood up and invited the two people in: "We are also here to stay overnight. It is fate that we meet each other. Little brother, please bring your father in with you."
“Thank you so much!”
Chen Yuan was polite and didn't see anyone outside. He helped his master and walked to the corner of the temple. He looked at the faces of the group of people illuminated by the firelight. They were dark and simple, even though they looked like heads.
There is no blood and evil in his body.
After chatting with them for a few words and getting acquainted with them, Chen Yuan said with a smile: "I admire you herb collectors who travel across the mountains and rivers. You dig into the woods wherever you find them, and you are not afraid of encountering man-eating mountain spirits and ghosts that suck people's yang energy.
The fox demon."
"Little brother, you are so proud of us. We don't just go into the forest. We won't go to the mountains where there are many strange things, and we won't go to the mountains that are only half green all year round... But if we meet a fox demon that sucks people's yang energy, we won't go there.
Haha, there are many men among us and we are full of yang energy, so we are afraid that we will not be able to feed the fox demon enough!"
They are all men who have been away from home all year round. Knowing that they are ordinary people, it is inevitable that their words will be a bit naughty.
The crazy old man saw his apprentice chatting happily with the bearded man. He put his hands in his sleeves and turned his face away angrily. But when he saw the burning fire, he immediately ran over and squeezed away an herb picker.
, put up his butt, and played with the fire again.
Amid the crackling sounds of rising sparks, Chen Yuan continued to chat with the group of herb collectors, asking them how many mountains they had walked through and whether they had heard of some magical plants, trees, gold and stones.
"... If my little brother wants to ask these questions, then I won't be sleepy. You can ask them. When I went to Jiguanliangzi last year, I found a charred old wood, as hard as iron, with new buds. Later, after going down the mountain
, talking about it with others... Oh, that's a regret, I realized that it was a tree struck by lightning. After being struck by lightning, if it survives and sprouts again, then it is a treasure."
"Then what? You didn't go?"
"I went there again, and the tree was dug up with its roots and soil, and its whereabouts are unknown."
The warm fire illuminated everyone. The herb collectors who had been busy all day were feeling sleepy at this time. They used their elbows as pillows within the range of the fire and fell asleep in a daze. Chen Yuan also
He yawned, leaned against the edge of the altar, and closed his eyes.
At this time, the wind outside the temple was still rustling, and it was stronger than before.
The crazy old man who was still picking at the sparks stopped now, raised his face and looked at the roof, "There's something evil about it!"
Chen Yuan also opened his eyes. He always believed in his master's warnings.
…
Outside the temple, on the cliff behind, a long shadow gradually slid down against the hazy light of the night sky, along with some falling gravel, making a soft rustling sound against the dense treetops below.
, the front half of the body raised high, flashing the snake letter quickly, climbed to the eaves.
The dense scales slowly wriggled along with the thick and long body, pressing against the tiles covered with fallen leaves, causing a series of "swishing" sounds.
The heavily-burdened beams groaned in a distorted voice, and dust fell into the temple.
A group of men picking herbs who were already alert woke up one after another. They heard unusual noises and got goosebumps unconsciously.
"Longworm!"
One man was particularly sensitive to the sound of snakes crawling by, and immediately told what was coming from outside. The leader of the bearded man gritted his teeth and looked at the roof with some fear, which made the sound of tiles squeezing.
Thinking of the local people's advice, I couldn't help but feel regretful.
Could it be that collecting herbs today brought it out?
This is putting everyone's lives on the line here.