novelones Chapter 574 Old friends meet
Chapter 574 Old friends meet
The group hurriedly hurriedly and slowly arrived at Xuanqing Temple at the dawn of the next day.
Shen Ruzhou jumped off the carriage, stretched out his limbs that were stiff from the long journey, and looked up. He saw a winding stone staircase winding around the mountainside like a giant dragon, and the magnificent Taoist temple at the top was looming in the mist. She widened her eyes and looked at Bei Xiuyan in disbelief, with a tremor in her voice, "Are we...really going to climb up?"
Bei Xiuyan nodded with a solemn expression: "This is the only way to the top of the mountain."
Shen Ruzhou was complaining in his heart, but he pretended to be calm on his face, and said boldly: "Isn't it just a few thousand stone steps? I, Shen Ruzhou, am not a spoiled person, I will definitely climb to the top with the prince!"
Bei Xiuyan looked at her brave appearance and felt both funny and distressed in his heart. He whispered in her ear: "Don't force it. You can't walk anymore. I will carry you on my back."
When Shen Ruzhou heard this, his cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
Qin Ming stopped the carriage and left Miaodong to guard it, and the three of them embarked on the difficult mountain climbing road.
It’s July and the heat is unbearable. After a while, beads of sweat appeared on Shen Ruzhou's forehead, and his steps became heavier and heavier.
Bei Xiuyan has been following her silently, sometimes reaching out to support her, sometimes handing her a cool water bag.
Shen Ruzhou gritted his teeth and climbed up step by step. From time to time, she turned her head to look at Bei Xiuyan. Seeing that his face was as normal and his steps were steady, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart: He is indeed a martial arts practitioner, and his physical strength is indeed extraordinary.
After walking for a long time, the three of them finally arrived at a pavilion. Shen Ruzhou was panting from exhaustion, leaning on the pillar of the pavilion, wiping his sweat while looking up at the stone steps that still had no end in sight. She curled her lips and complained: "Why don't you build a road, but you have to pave so many steps? It's really torture."
"To see if you are sincere or not." A clear voice suddenly sounded. Shen Ruzhou looked around and saw an eight or nine-year-old boy leaning against the shade of a tree to enjoy the cool air, with two buckets in front of him.
Shen Ruzhou was extremely thirsty, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked: "Little master, is there any water in your bucket?"
The boy raised his eyebrows, crossed his fingers, and made a sign of ten: "Ten taels of silver per bucket."
"Why don't you go and grab it?" Shen Ruyi suddenly became furious when he heard the price. “In Kyoto, ten taels of silver is enough to carry water for a month.
"I'll sell it at this price. Do you want it or not?" The child sat cross-legged under the tree with his arms folded across his chest, showing no sign of discussion.
Shen Ruzhou breathed heavily in his chest, and just as he was about to find something to say to refute, Beixiu Yan spoke up, "We bought these two buckets of water."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of silver and threw it to the boy.
"Okay." The child stretched out his hands to catch it steadily, carried the bucket in front of them, then turned around and left.
Shen Ruzhou clenched his fist angrily and punched Bei Xiuyan, "This kid is unreasonable, and you still let him go."
Bei Xiuyan smiled and put his arms around her shoulders, looking at the Taoist temple on the top of the mountain, "My master condoned this."
"Oh?" Shen Ruzhou tilted his head, full of curiosity, "I would like to hear the details."
Bei Xiuyan explained: "My master saw that the nearby villagers were living in poverty, so he wanted to help them. But at that time, he was not the head of the clan and could not easily take the money from the temple, so he discussed with the villagers how to change the way up the mountain. It is paved with stone steps, and the villagers take turns selling water here to add some income to support their families."
After hearing this, Shen Ruzhou pursed his lips and smiled, "It's quite interesting for Taoist Kaishan to come up with such an idea."
Qin Ming filled a water bag and brought it. Shen Ruzhou and Bei Xiu had a feast, and then continued climbing the mountain after a little repair.
Finally, at dusk, they trudged to the top of the mountain.
Looking at the tired and exhausted Shen Ruzhou, Bei Xiuyan had a trace of distress in his eyes, and placed her in the wing to rest before going to see Taoist Kaishan alone.
After an absence of several years, walking into the familiar Xiangtang again, Beixiu Banquet felt like a world away.
The founder of the mountain seemed to have expected him to come. His eyes were calm, his lips opened and closed, and he said, "Immeasurable Heavenly Lord."
At the Northern Xiu Banquet, he bowed as a disciple and called out in a harsh voice: "Master."
"The relationship between you and me as master and disciple has ended. I cannot bear the title of master." Kaishan Taoist Master raised his hand and pointed to the futon opposite, "Donor, please sit down."
When the news of the demise of the previous dynasty came, Beixiu Yan heard the news that he had been expelled from the division. Now that I heard what Master Kaishan said with my own ears, I still feel a twinge of pain in my heart.
Things in the world are complicated and helpless.
When we meet old friends, we are sad about parting several times, but the words are hard to say between our teeth.
The two sat opposite each other, and there was silence in the room.
After a long time, Beixiu Yan finally plucked up the courage and spoke with difficulty, "Taoist Master Kaishan, I have come to ask for something. I would like to ask you to be noble and please don't try to reveal my life experience."
The Taoist priest of Kaishan looked directly at Beixiu Yan with his eyes like a torch: "Why? Afraid of death?"
"My death is insignificant, but the country and the country can no longer be turbulent. The people are innocent, and they are the ones who suffer." Beixiu Yan met his gaze calmly, without fear.
"Do you still want to go back and be the regent? Are you reluctant to give up the power in your hands?" Taoist priest Kaishan said in a cold tone.
"My unfinished business can only be completed through the power of the regent." Bei Xiuyan's eyes were pious and awe-inspiring. This was his master. No matter what choice he made, he would not cover him up in any way.
"Do you want to restore the country?" the Taoist priest asked with burning eyes.
Hearing this, Beixiu Yan kowtowed deeply with a solemn expression, "I know that the previous dynasty is over, and I have never thought of restoring the country. What I see in my eyes is that the people are safe and peaceful, and the world is peaceful and prosperous."
His eyes fell on the scriptures on the case of Kaishan Taoist Master, and he continued: "Although Master no longer recognizes me, I will always keep your past teachings in mind. What I do today is for the peace of the world and the peace of the people."
A slight fluctuation flashed in the mind of the founding Taoist priest, and the scenes of personally teaching Beixiu banquet and martial arts in the past flashed through his mind one by one.
After a moment of silence, he changed the subject and said, "Pindao has met Lu Huaining. You raised him very well."
Bei Xiuyan was slightly startled, "When have you seen him?"
"Everything is a matter of chance." Taoist Master Kaishan smiled faintly, and then clasped his hands in front of his abdomen, "I am going to meditate now, the donor can do what he wants."
Hearing this, Bei Xiuyan felt relieved, kowtowed three times and retreated.