After sending away the ghosts from last night, Li Xiuyuan entered Wangchuan Mountain with Wu Fei, Han Meng, Tieshan and other guards.
In the deep mountains and old forests, spirits are infested and wild beasts are rampant.
Without any strong skills, just going into the mountains casually is looking for death.
Mountain forests in ancient times were no different than modern ones. Any mountain top was like a primeval forest. It was easy to get in but difficult to get out.
"Young Master, it's impossible for ordinary people to tell lies. Were those ghosts last night lying to us? Are there really gods in these deep mountains and forests?" Han Meng said.
Li Xiuyuan said: "Of course there will be no gods in the deep mountains and old forests, but there will be enlightened spirits or Taoists who live in seclusion. Well, stop talking so much nonsense, they will be there soon."
Everyone entered the mountain forest and walked all the way. After about a few hours, everyone came to the foot of a mountain peak.
Looking up, I saw that the mountain was surrounded by clouds and mist, making it impossible to see clearly. These clouds and mist persisted and gathered around the mountain. If people entered, they would probably get lost immediately.
"It's right here." Li Xiuyuan's eyes narrowed and he felt that this place was unusual.
"Young Master, there is a lot of miasma in the mountains. The mist is shrouded here. I am afraid that the miasma in the mountains has condensed. It will be dangerous to enter rashly." Wu Fei said.
"Whether it's miasma or not, you won't know until you try it." Li Xiuyuan took off his jade belt and did not block his breath.
Immediately, the surrounding dense fog seemed to be blown away by an invisible breeze, and everything in front of me was clearly revealed.
"It seems it's not a miasma, but someone used Taoism to block the entire mountain peak."
After Li Xiuyuan finished speaking, he strode forward with some anticipation in his heart.
There is only one possibility for this situation to occur, and that is that there is indeed something hiding here. Perhaps the flying old man that Doctor Qian mentioned lives in this mountain.
Everyone felt strange when they saw this, and they didn't understand why the thick fog that had been fine before suddenly dispersed.
But seeing Li Xiuyuan walking forward fearlessly, they naturally followed closely.
Every time Li Xiuyuan walked through a place, the thick fog in that place automatically dispersed.
After about a while, everyone came to a staircase.
The steps winding up, leading to the cloud-covered mountain peak above the clouds, like a ladder to heaven, people can't help but want to climb up to see if there is a heavenly palace above.
"I'm here to ask for medicine. I need sincerity. You stay here while I go up the mountain alone." Li Xiuyuan became more and more sure that there was an expert living in seclusion here.
"Young Master, this mountain is steep, so I think it's better to bring a few guards along with you," Tieshan said.
"No, I have my own opinion. Just give me a waist knife to defend myself." Li Xiuyuan said.
His own weapons are too heavy to carry.
Tieshan took off his waist knife and handed it over.
After Li Xiuyuan took the waist knife, he quickly climbed up the steps with light steps.
Everyone obeyed the order and did not follow, but just waited at the foot of the mountain.
There were countless steps, but Li Xiuyuan was also a martial arts practitioner and was quite reasonable. In a short time, he had already reached the halfway point of the mountain.
At this time, he saw a hut halfway up the mountain. In front of the hut, there was an old man in his fifties or sixties, holding an old ax and chopping firewood. There was a copper stove next to it, with a roaring fire burning inside.
After the old woodcutter finished chopping the wood, he threw the dry wood into the copper stove to burn, and then continued to chop wood.
"Old man, what are you doing?" Li Xiuyuan asked.
"I am refining the elixir. After eating it, I can live forever and rise to the sky. Young man, how did you come up to this fairy mountain? This is not a place that mortals can walk up to." The old woodcutter said.
"Aren't you a mortal too? Then why are you here."
Li Xiuyuan glanced at the old woodcutter and thought he was a god, but he was also a mortal.
He couldn't see anything magical about the old woodcutter.
The old woodcutter said: "I am indeed a mortal. When I was your age, I went into the mountains and got the fate of immortality. As long as I can practice this pot of elixir, I can become an immortal and live away from the troubles of the world.
The unrestrained fairy life.”
"How long have you been refining this elixir?" Li Xiuyuan asked again.
"Well, if you calculate carefully, it's not too much, not too much, and it's exactly half a armor. If you practice half a armor, you can become it." The old woodcutter said.
"But have you ever thought about it, maybe you will die of old age before you can master the elixir. Then you will not be able to enjoy it at all after you have practiced the elixir for decades in vain." Li Xiuyuan said.
The old woodcutter immediately said angrily: "Fart, this is what the immortal taught me to practice, in order to test my sincerity in becoming an immortal. Don't mess around here. This is not a place for a commoner like you to stay. Leave quickly, otherwise
If the immortal is angry, you will be in trouble."
"Is there an immortal here? That's just right. I also came here to ask for medicine. Can you tell me where this immortal is?" Li Xiuyuan said without being angry.
"This is not the attitude of asking for immortality and medicine. If you go up the mountain, you will anger the immortal. I won't tell you where the immortal is." The old woodcutter said.
Li Xiuyuan suddenly realized: "It turns out that the immortal is on the mountain, thank you very much."
After saying that, without hesitation, he immediately handed over his hands and continued walking up the mountain.
The old woodcutter suddenly became angry and angry, but he had nothing to do with Li Xiuyuan, so he could only snort: "If you are not sincere, you will definitely not be able to ask for the magic medicine."
After that, he continued to chop wood and make medicine.
Li Xiuyuan ignored it and continued climbing.
After about a while, he finally reached the top of the mountain.
The top of the mountain is not big and very simple, with only a bamboo house, a pavilion and an old pine.
The surrounding clouds and mist are rising and shining, and it seems that there are celestial palaces rising and rising in the clouds and mist. It looks extraordinary and magical everywhere. It is really a secluded place for gods and immortals, without any secular atmosphere.
Li Xiuyuan glanced around and finally landed under an old pine on the edge of the cliff.
Sitting under the vigorous old pine tree was a short old man with white hair and beard, wearing a commoner, looking down at the chess game in front of him, seemingly thoughtful.
"immortal?"
Li Xiuyuan asked.
"Haha, there are no gods in the world, it's just rumors. The real gods live above the nine heavens, in the palace of heaven. The old man is just a casual cultivator living in seclusion in the mountains and fields." The white-haired old man heard the voice and laughed.
"That's a monster."
"Is there any difference between gods and monsters?" The white-haired old man said: "You, a mortal, can actually climb to the top of the mountain. It seems to be something extraordinary. I wonder why you came to disturb this old man's chess game?"
Li Xiuyuan walked over: "Li Xiuyuan in Xiaguobei County, my father was injured by Taoism and is now seriously ill. I wonder if the old man can be cured?"
"It's nothing to worry about a minor injury. A pill that I can easily refine can save it."
The white-haired old man glanced at Li Xiuyuan. His eyes were not black like ordinary people, but golden.
"Please also ask the old man to give you medicine." Li Xiuyuan cupped his hands and said.
The white-haired old man watched a piece fall on the chessboard in front of him: "I don't know you, so why should I give you medicine for no reason? You must know that elixir is difficult to practice. If every mortal comes to ask for medicine, how can I still practice it?
What kind of elixir, what kind of way to practice."
"What the old man said is reasonable, but I will not force anyone to do anything difficult. If the old man is willing to give you a medicine, I am willing to agree to any conditions." Li Xiuyuan said.
"You are so interesting as a mortal. When others ask for medicine, they kneel down and beg, but you exchange medicine with conditions." The white-haired old man put down a chess piece in his hand and smiled.
"If I kneel down to beg the old man, will he immediately give me medicine? If so, I am willing to kneel down and beg for medicine." Li Xiuyuan said seriously.
The white-haired old man smiled and said: "You are a smart man. Yes, even if you kneel down and ask for medicine, the old man will not give it to you easily. Did you see the old woodcutter when you went up the mountain? He also asked me
He knelt down for three days and three nights to ask for medicine, and the old man gave him a chance to practice a furnace of elixir. That furnace of elixir required a period of practice, and now he has practiced it for thirty years."
"I can't wait for thirty years, I can only wait for three days." Li Xiuyuan said; "So I ask the old man to help me. As long as my father can recover, I will come back to repay the old man."
"No, no, no, if you take the medicine and leave, you won't come back, and you won't be able to repay me." The white-haired old man shook his head and smiled.
"I can swear to God." Li Xiuyuan said.
The white-haired old man said: "In this world, people are in a state of confusion. People who swear are everywhere. They will not be punished accordingly while they are alive. They will only be punished after death. Then I can't go to your ghost to settle accounts."
"Then what does the old man say before he is willing to give medicine?" Li Xiuyuan said.
The white-haired old man smiled; "You said before that if you get the medicine, you are willing to agree to any conditions, right?"
"Yes, that's right." Li Xiuyuan nodded.
"Well, the old man's condition is that this elixir is expensive to refine. If you want to exchange it with me, you have to come up with ten thousand taels of silver and send it to this mountain within seven days." The white-haired old man said.
"Why seven days? One day will do."
Li Xiuyuan immediately cupped his hands, then turned around and walked down the mountain.