Yu Sheng was not a stingy person, so he immediately led the master and apprentice to their seats, served tea, and asked them to wait.
He had just left a portion of food behind him, which was originally intended for the Celestial Master and himself to eat, but now it was time for the young monk to satisfy his hunger.
However, after returning to the kitchen, Yu Sheng saw that the dishes and plates placed on the pot table were empty, except for some residue.
The kitchen also has a door in the backyard. The door was open, and Yu Sheng poked his head out, but there was nothing there.
Yu Sheng couldn't help but scratch his head, "Is there a mouse?"
Not caring about pursuing these matters, Yu Sheng threw the plate aside, quickly cooked another portion and served it.
When the young monk saw the green vegetables, his big eyes revealed nothing else, and his saliva flowed out.
After it was served on the table, the old monk clasped his hands and thanked him for the rest of his life. The young monk immediately started to eat happily.
The system voice also sounded at the right time: The host is kind and charitable, and will be rewarded with ten points of merit.
I am so happy for the rest of my life, I never expected that the merit points gained from helping others are more than the daily tasks.
Li Zheng turned around, handed over to the old monk, and asked, "I wonder where the master comes from?"
The old monk raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, the old monk is the abbot of Xishan Temple."
Everyone was shocked.
Xishan Naiqiao is a mountain in the bamboo sea, next to the mountain road, about half a day's journey from the town.
There used to be a temple on Xishan Mountain, and it was once very popular with incense. Villagers in the town often went there to burn incense and restore it.
But after the death of the powerful abbot, rumors spread about monsters in the temple. The monks were dying and running away, and it soon became deserted.
There are many rumors in the village about the ruined temple.
It is said that after nightfall, the temple will light up a lonely lamp to lure passers-by to stay and then kill them.
Before Yu Sheng was born, some dandy boys in Yangzhou came to the town after hearing rumors.
They settled in an inn and set off to the ruined temple in the middle of the night, intending to break into the temple and subdue the monsters to eliminate harm to the people, but in the end they never came back.
This matter was said by Mr. Yu Sheng himself, so it should not be false.
Since then, few people in the town have entered the bamboo forest.
Now when everyone heard that the old monk came down from the Western Mountain, they couldn't help but be surprised and suspicious. If it weren't for the sword pouch on the archway to support him, they would have run away long ago.
Li Zheng said carefully: "There is only one temple on the West Mountain, and it has been abandoned for a long time."
The old monk nodded, "Yes, my master and disciple traveled to the Western Mountains yesterday and saw a ruined temple. They cleaned it up to make a shelter."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master, there are monsters in that temple." Aunt Ma reminded the old monk straightforwardly.
The old monk nodded and said: "Donor, don't worry, a scholar passed by yesterday and drove away all the monsters in the temple."
Everyone suddenly realized that the news about the painting fairy passing by yesterday had been spread throughout the town.
The old monk paused for a moment and then said: "The old monk also has some ability to exorcise demons. If you need it in the future, please give me your instructions."
After hearing this, everyone expressed their thanks. Aunt Ma even said that when the Bamboo Sea becomes peaceful, she will go to the Xishan Temple to burn incense and make wishes.
She was a frequent visitor to the Xishan Temple when she was young, and this statement is not false.
Speaking of burning incense and making wishes, Li Zheng suddenly asked Yu Sheng: "Have you brought your green vegetables to the shrine for the city lord to taste?"
Because the Sword Immortal protected the town, about twenty or thirty years ago, the town built a shrine to worship the Lord of Yangzhou City.
In the town, any happy event, any game caught, or any delicious food, a portion should be offered to the shrine.
When Yu Sheng heard this, he was startled and said: "The city owner eats a lot of meat and fish all day long, she must not be used to eating these vegetables."
"Who said that?" Aunt Ma disagreed, "When the shrine was first built, my mother enshrined the freshly steamed steamed buns in the shrine."
She beamed with joy and said, "Later, when the city lord passed by the town with his sword flying, he came down specifically to ask for some cornbread from my mother."
Everyone in the town knows this story.
When the third son was just walking around and peeing in front of Aunt Ma's door wearing crotchless pants, Aunt Ma had told him three times.
So much so that the first thing the mistress said was not to call her father and mother, but to call her "Wotou."
Sitting aside, Yu Sheng couldn't help but say: "She is quite greedy as well."
"Oh!" Everyone's eyes were fixed on Yu Sheng.
"Pah!" The back of Yu Sheng's head was immediately hit, "You brat, you dare to trick the city lord." Li Zheng lectured.
Yu Sheng covered his head and ran away, "I was wrong, I was wrong, I will cook it carefully and send it to her old man, okay?"
Li Zheng then put down his hand and said, "By the way, don't forget to give some to the temple next to you."
Yu Sheng asked him, "What kind of god is that?"
"I can't remember which one is the god of agriculture or the god of grain," Li Zheng said.
The temple is small, and the person worshiping it is probably not a great god.
It was just after noon and the weather was hot.
Yu Sheng packed two plates of vegetables and a small jar of wine in a food box, left them to enjoy the cool weather in the inn, and walked toward the east end of the town.
There were not many people on the street, only a few bare-backed children playing under the jujube trees.
When they saw Yu Sheng, they gathered around and said, "Brother, brother, brother, what's there to eat?"
"Go, go, go, this is for the city lord to eat." Yu Sheng pushed them away, "You guys don't go to the river to play."
They nodded, and the oldest, skinniest, and bun-haired boy among them said again: "Let's go to the lake to play."
"Hey, Baozi, are you looking for a beating?" Yu Sheng grabbed his ear.
"I won't go, I won't go." Baozi shook his head hurriedly.
Yu Sheng then let him go, gave him a few more words, and walked towards the shrine.
The shrine is at the east end of the town, and behind the temple is an endless lake.
There is a tall ginkgo tree in front of the temple. The left and right sides are paved with bluestones. Four large pillars surrounded by three people support the clean and bright temple.
Next to the shrine, the inconspicuous little temple is a bit shabby.
Its length and width are less than a quarter of the shrine, its roof is covered with pine tiles, and weeds grow in front of the door.
I only come here to clean it during the New Year and holidays. At other times, few people go in, and I never went in there in the rest of my life.
He went to the shrine and placed the offerings in front of the incense table.
What is enshrined behind the incense table is not a stone statue, but an ink painting.
The woman in the painting has a mysterious appearance, holding a long sword in her hand, fighting a fierce dragon on the lake. She is extremely handsome.
According to legend, twenty or thirty years ago, there was an evil dragon in the lake that wreaked havoc on the people in the town.
Later, the sword fairy took action in time and wounded the evil dragon with one sword, so that the evil dragon did not dare to come again.
The shrine was built at that time.
The temple is quiet and cool, with only Yu Sheng alone.
"I don't know if it suits your taste." After placing the offerings one by one, he collected the food boxes, walked out of the shrine, and stepped on the weeds into the small temple next to it.
To Yu Sheng's surprise, there was an old man with a stooped body in the temple who was wiping the incense table in front of the statue.
The old man was dressed in white robes, had gray hair, and had an immortal spirit. When he heard footsteps, he turned around tremblingly.
Yu Sheng traveled around the town for a year and a half and never saw this old man.
The old man also looked surprised after seeing Yu Sheng.
Seeing him staring at her, "Can you see me?" the old man asked.
Yu Sheng nodded, his eyes wandering between the statue and the old man. Except for the fine lines on the statue and the old man's old and sick appearance, they really looked alike.