chewing dragon

Chapter 255
In late autumn, the air is cold, the leaves are all shedding, the valleys are windy, and the clothes are covered with frost and dew.

On the official road next to the valley, Qi Jingzhi sat astride Bannu's back, eyes closed in concentration, eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a flush appearing on his face from time to time.

His breathing was deep and subtle, and the energy in his body fluctuated accordingly, faintly carrying a strange and mysterious rhythm, which could actually attract the cold water in the valley beside him to gather, forming knots on his eyebrows and hair. A thin layer of hoarfrost.

A black divine horse with no mottled colors was half a horse behind Bannu, following step by step. Just looking at its cautious appearance, one could tell that it had no guts to keep pace with the black and white tiger-striped beast.

Li Shan Guangye rode on Li Ma's back, straining his ears, listening carefully to the wonderful sound of heaven and earth playing with the wind and rain, shaking his head, as if realizing something.

Both of them were silent, and Bannu's tiger claws fell silently, only the sound of the horse's hooves echoed between the official road and the valley.

After an unknown period of time, Qi Jingzhi's mysterious Taoist voice gradually faded away, and the energy surging around him also calmed down.

Lishan Guangye came back to his senses quickly, and pondered for a while, then slapped his thigh suddenly, and said in embarrassment: "Brother, you really look down on people. Although my surname is Lishan, I am a warrior from the army, but there is a Jiang in my family." How could it be possible for the Tongyu family to inherit part of their knowledge of astronomy and calendar without knowing the rhythm?"

As soon as the words fell, Qi Jingzhi on the side slowly opened his eyes, and then exhaled a foul breath, which was full of scorching heat.

The white frost on his eyebrows and hair immediately melted away and turned back into mist, blending into the bleak cold wind blowing from the valley.

The young man calmed down and immediately laughed: "I was just joking casually at the Xie Ma Inn. Now we are about to reach the capital, and you still hold grudges? Isn't this too petty?"

Hearing this, Lishan Guangye tilted his head and took a closer look at Qi Jingzhi's face. He saw that there was nothing serious, then he showed a gloating smile and responded unceremoniously: "Brother Shi lost to that Bifang again. Bird?"

"Hey, brother worked so hard to build the altar, but the thieves who came from nowhere took over the magpie's nest, and were often beaten to the point of disgrace, so that he couldn't return home. It's really a big anecdote!"

Even if Qi Jingzhi didn't look back, he could still imagine the ugly face of Lishan Guangye. He immediately stopped suppressing the remaining anger in his heart and snorted heavily: "I'm happy!"

As soon as these three words were spoken, the cold wind and frost around the two people suddenly became weaker.

Lishan Guangye took advantage of his words and couldn't help laughing: "Brother Shi, don't be angry! When we get to the capital, I will take Brother Shi to see Duke Lu!"

"His cultivation is superb, his knowledge is far-reaching, and he loves to support and help the younger ones, not to mention that elder brother also gave me the first merit of Xianlin. Duke Lu has to help with this, both public and private, and he will definitely be able to solve the doubts for elder brother .”

As for Bi Fangniao who occupied the Lingtai of his nest house, Qi Jingzhi combined with the legend of Emperor Hong's Dahe ghosts and gods, he had already guessed in his heart.

That thief bird has the aura of immortal feather rectification, and has a great relationship with Baiyun Township and Weiyu Mountain, which were born in Xuandu's lineage. It probably played a big role, and Lord Langya's shouting question couldn't get rid of it.

If you really need someone to answer your questions, Master Xuandu and Lord Langya are undoubtedly the most suitable candidates.

However, if Qi Jingzhi wants to call his master, he has to go to the Lingtai and blow the bone flute, but he can't do it right now.

As for Lord Langya, he didn’t even leave behind a method of summons. Moreover, counting the time, the Grand Sima of Gouchen Academy was probably not in the capital at this time. Otherwise, he would not have been able to carry out important tasks such as escorting Anfeng Hou Ding Chengyuan to the capital. It fell on the heads of Geshu Dashi and Wei Bao.

Thinking of this, Qi Jingzhi turned his head and glanced at Lishan Guangye, the "Lingtai Lang", but he thought of the legend of Tongyu's building Lutai and his trip to watch the sun in his heart.

As his practice progressed and his horizons expanded, he no longer dared to underestimate the myths, legends, and ancient secrets that were either magnificent or bizarre.

Among the few words that have been passed down orally or preserved in ancient historical records, there may be hints of the cultivation methods of the ancient great masters.

That Lu Gong was regarded by Lishan Guangye as the direct descendant of the Tongyu family, so it could be said that he had some unique secrets in spiritual cultivation.

Therefore, Qi Jingzhi nodded lightly and said: "Duke Lu is in charge of the Huntian Supervision Department, and it is Daqi Lizheng. Xianyu Mountain is inherited from the ancient Tianting Lizheng Fengniao family. As a late student, I will go to visit Gao Xian."

Hearing this, Li Shan Guangye's expression immediately became solemn: "Oh, I didn't think about this just now!"

This fellow has now roughly figured out Qi Jingzhi's details, frowned and pondered for a while before he said hesitantly: "Fortunately, Brother Shi's cultivation level is still low and his reputation is not obvious, so it's okay to meet Lu Gong, it's not a big deal. As the master of the Xuandu Temple, I am afraid that all the officers and men of Huntian will jump up immediately, as if they are welcoming a distinguished guest, as if they are facing an enemy!"

Qi Jingzhi listened to Li Shan Guangye's words, felt dazed for a while, and then startled.

After all, more than half a year ago, he was just an immature hunter in the mountains, and now he has become the first disciple of the Xuandu temple master who bears the honor and disgrace of his master. , especially after entering the capital, his words, deeds, and actions may fall into the eyes of those who care about him, so he must not be careless.

At the moment Qi Jingzhi pondered for a while, and then thanked him sincerely: "Thank you, brother, for your kindness!"

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject suddenly: "It's just that I have a few words for my brother. If you recommend it sincerely, please set the date before you change your clan and resign from the official position, otherwise Duke Lu Once you get angry and want to take action to clean up Tongyu's family, it will be a big misfortune for my virtuous brother. Of course, I am seeking benevolence and gaining benevolence. As a brother and you call me a brother, maybe I will be implicated for nothing, isn't it too innocent?"

After Qi Jingzhi said these words, when he looked at Lishan Guangye again, he saw that this guy was already dumbfounded.

After a while, Lishan Guangye laughed again, shaking his head while laughing: "Brother's sharpness of tongue and words is indeed not inferior to swords, but my younger brother has never gained the upper hand..."

The two of them have been on the road these days, and when they are bored, they often bicker for fun, and they can both crack jokes, and the friendship between them has deepened unknowingly.

Lishan Guangye laughed for a while, raised his hand and pointed forward: "Yesterday, my brother passed through Shiweng Valley without entering, and missed the Zen holy land of Fuya Temple. Now today Qi Yuan is already close in front of us, but no matter what, Don’t miss it again, otherwise your surname will be lost in vain!”

Speaking of which, the Dongxiu Mountains on the southern outskirts of the capital of Da Qi are not famous for their steepness. On the contrary, there are many winding paths and beautiful valleys. They are a good place to spend the summer and live in seclusion to practice Taoism. The stone urn where Fuya Temple is located Valley is one of them.

Qi Jingzhi traveled all the way, and saw many clear streams and valleys along the way. At this time, he looked in the direction pointed by Lishan Guangye. Although he had never seen anything special, his heartstrings suddenly tightened. It was a rare sight. Throbbing, even a little hard to suppress.

"Tian Qiyuan..."

Qi Jingzhi couldn't help sighing, even though he had never been to the capital of Great Qi before, he had already heard about Tian Qiyuan's reputation from Master Meng.

Just as Dongyue Taizhou got its name from Dongyue Taishan which was erected by Jiuhe Sage King, Qidi, Qi State and even Qi family with the surname Jiang got their name from Tian Qiyuan.

I especially remember that in Meng's private school, when Master Meng was explaining Chinese characters, he proudly said to a group of Meng children: "Qi means Zhongye, which is the center of things. The state of Qi is the state of the center. "

At that time, Qi Jingzhi was particularly interested because he had the surname of the country, so he couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "The world is vast and boundless, how can we be sure that Daqi is in the center?"

Master Meng first slapped him on the hand without hesitation, and then explained with a smile: "Qi is the same, and the sky is also Qi."

"First, our Daqi territory is vast. It once bordered the East China Sea to the east, the South China Sea to the south, and the North Sea to the north. Although the location of the West Sea has never been found, the land of Daqi is obviously among the four seas. Therefore, it is said that the four seas are united. It’s called the central country.”

"Both, in our Daqi Zhongzhou, south of the capital, there is an unfathomable divine spring that absorbs hundreds of rivers at a glance. The name of the saints and former kings is: Tianqiyuan."

"Qi is the original word for navel. Tian Qiyuan is the belly button of heaven. Since the sages all believe that Tian Qiyuan is the belly button of the world, we, Da Qi, are naturally ranked among the world and the four seas. The Kingdom of the Middle.”

"It is also for this reason that the ancient kings of the Daqi Dynasty used Tianqiyuan as a place of worship for the God of God. The Chizao Tiandi Temple located in Tianqiyuan is also the most magnificent one among the Daqi Tiandi Temples..."

Qi Jingzhi recalled at this time that Master Meng's explanation was probably just wishful thinking.

The sages of the Jiang clan and the former kings of the Qi State specially spread this kind of rhetoric, which should be to encourage the ancestors to work hard and open up the mountains and forests, and the Qi State's prosperity today is undoubtedly due to Tian Qiyuan's contribution.

Seeing that Qi Jingzhi was obviously very interested in Tian Qiyuan, Li Shan Guangye said with great interest: "Brother Shi probably knows the story of Tian Qiyuan better than I do, so I won't repeat it. Let’s talk about the scenery here in recent years!”

"In the past hundred years, as our country of Da Qi has grown in power, the amount of water in Tianqiyuan has become more and more abundant, and it has gradually differentiated into five springs, including Fengquan, Ruiquan, Tianquan, Diquan, and Tianqi Pool."

"The officials and the people in the capital all regard the 'five springs coming out' as auspicious. Every spring, the whole family will come here to climb mountains to find water, go to the spring to worship the saints, and pray for good weather and peace for the country and the people. Every March [-]rd on the Shangsi Festival, many people come to Repair and bathe by the water, so as to cleanse the old and clean up the new, sweep away evil spirits, cure diseases and eliminate disasters, pray for children and pray for blessings..."

While the two were talking, they were running non-stop, when a sudden turn of events ahead, a large lake appeared out of the sky, and it crashed into Qi Jingzhi's eyes.

He suddenly felt refreshed, and immediately straightened his waist and looked into the distance. He saw the vastness of the mist, the sparkling water, the passing of boats, and the ups and downs of aquariums.

Near the Great Lake, there are many roads of different widths and narrows intertwined. When the two of them came, there was an endless stream of vehicles, horses and pedestrians, and there were many flagpoles standing in the shade of trees beside the road. Most of the three-foot wine signs hung on them , The characters "wine", big and small, danced in the autumn wind, and the air of humanity and mortals rushed towards our faces.

Looking further into the distance, the Great Lake is surrounded by many mountains, forests and valleys, among which towers and palaces are hidden, and the flying corners of the temple eaves are faintly visible, and there are morning bells and evening drums, and smoke is lingering. No one can tell that it is the Temple of the Emperor of Heaven.

Seeing such a magnificent scene, Qi Jingzhi's mind was widened, and most of the tiredness accumulated for a long time disappeared immediately.

He deliberately looked at the roads by the lake a few more times, and found that these intertwined roads seemed to be chaotic, but at most there were only four thoroughfares, and there was no road to prosperity.

Lishan Guangye was obviously in a good mood and smiled happily: "It is now the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. It is not a day for visiting the lake and repairing evil spirits. Officials and people from all over the city come here out of the city to worship and pray. It is just for the purpose of visiting the lake and admiring it. Scenery, feasting and having fun.”

"As for the wine used in the banquet, the most famous one is 'Three Banana Leaves', which is brewed from the clearest and sweetest spring water in Tianqiyuan. It can make the drinkers forget their favors and insults, eliminate their sorrows, and have a good time. Sweet dreams full of flowers!”

"As the saying goes, the elegant industry has been abandoned in sorrow for a long time, and the beautiful flowers are suddenly seen in the mist. Drink the three banana leaves with all your bosom, and wake up from the bed with fragrant dreams."

Lishan Guangye got excited and suddenly turned his horse's head and turned into an inconspicuous side road: "Brother, follow me quickly. I know where the best three banana leaves are!"

Qi Jingzhi looked at the sun and saw that it was almost noon, so he patted Ban Nu's neck and followed Li Ma's hooves.

Under the guidance of Lishan Guangye, the two turned around along a clear mountain stream, through the forest and into the valley, and found a remote wine shop.

There are two opposite mountain walls behind the restaurant. The stream gushed out from between the two mountains before, bypassing the back wall of the restaurant and winding its way to Tianqi Yuan beyond the forest.

Qi Jingzhi noticed that the door and windows of the restaurant in front of him were closed when the door was supposed to be open to welcome guests.

There is a thatched pavilion in front of the restaurant, with gurgling streams and plantains planted all over the pavilion, which is full of greenery in late autumn. There are wooden tables and rattan chairs in the pavilion, which is quite rustic.

On the top of the thatched pavilion is a half-new wine flag. In addition to a large word "wine", there are eight small characters on the flag: "Jixia famous wine, Pu family's ancient recipe."

"This Pu's restaurant is not well-known in the capital. I heard about it by accident at first, and it took me a long time to find it."

"His family's three banana leaf wine is made by the owner according to the secret ancient recipe. It has a rich cellar aroma, a long-lasting sauce aroma, a harmonious thick sauce, and a clean and sweet finish. It is really a rare product."

After saying that, Li Shan Guangye got off his horse, tied the horse to the pillar of the mao pavilion, then walked quickly into the pavilion, pulled a wicker chair, and put his chubby body in it, letting out a contented sigh. sigh.

Qi Jingzhi, who waited for the guests to do whatever he wanted, sat down opposite him, and this guy lazily clapped his hands three times: "Where is Pu Shan, Pu Xi?"

As soon as the words fell, there were two splashing sounds from the mountain stream outside the pavilion.

Qi Jingzhi turned his head to look, and saw two black-skinned children standing up from the stream, bowing to the two of them.

Apart from the peculiar skin color, they have delicate eyebrows and eyes, well-dressed clothes, and they are dry and dry without any trace of water.

A black boy said respectfully: "Little Pu Shan!"

Another immediate interface: "Little Pushi!"

"Meet Master Li!"

The two black children said in unison: "You have not come for a long time! My master is not in the shop today, so we can only serve the masters to eat and drink!"

"Tch! It's this same rhetoric that hasn't changed for so many years! The master of the Ni family has always been a dragon, and I have never heard of anyone who has seen his true face."

Li Shan Guangye complained indifferently, and then ordered solemnly, "Call me Master Li Shan from now on!"

Seeing the two black boys hurriedly responded, Lishan Guangye smiled with satisfaction, then introduced to Qi Jingzhi: "Brother, these two are the servants raised by the master here."

After he finished speaking, he raised his finger and pointed to the two mountain walls behind the wine shop, and then pointed to the stream outside the pavilion: "There are rocks on the left and right, with water growing in them, and the water flows out for thousands of years. Its essence is called Shan, and its name is Xi, and it looks like a child." , black. Call it by name, it can be used to take food and drink."

After finishing speaking, Li Shan Guangye asked Pu Shan and Pu Xi again: "What do you have for drinking today?"

Hearing this, Pu Shan thought for a while before answering: "The villain remembers that... Master Lishan never eats horse meat or fish, so there is only one mountain delicacy left."

Pu Xi, who was on the side, was obviously more lively, but he smiled and continued, "I want to teach Master Lishan to know that my master hunted a cat a few days ago, and now there is still a bit of love in it!"

(End of this chapter)