Sword of Coming

As soon as the Waking of Insects is over, Dou Zhi Ding is approaching, and the Spring Equinox is approaching, Dou Zhi Ren is coming.

The courtyard is quiet, with a gentle breeze and moonlight. The female ghost in red dress, whom the Taoist calls Miss Xue, put on an elegant white dress tonight and comes here to enjoy the flowers.

After all, the female ghost is also a woman, and there are so many lingerie and skirts in the house that there are several big boxes full.

But she is just enjoying herself, and has nothing to do with the kind of woman who pleases herself.

After all, the middle-aged Taoist priest was really not good enough in terms of appearance. He was also a mediocre man who couldn't stand money and couldn't tolerate vulgarity.

The walls are covered with flowers, and there is a swing in the courtyard.

She sat on the wooden board, holding the rope with both hands, and her toes touched the ground and then hung in the air, and the swing began to sway gently.

In fact, before the Taoist priests moved in, the house had long been abandoned, overgrown with weeds and riddled with snakes and rats.

Nowadays, everything is in order, and the flowers are blooming all over the courtyard, vying for beauty.

The middle-aged Taoist priest who was the greatest contributor was squatting at the top of the steps, holding a white bowl filled with some herbal juice in one hand, and a wooden-handled brush in the other hand, wiping his teeth there, occasionally raising his head, his throat rumbling. Then spit out the water and "wash" your teeth again.

She asked: "It's just soup made from dandelions, used to clean teeth. Is it really as mysterious as you say? Can it help people stabilize their teeth and strengthen their muscles and bones?"

Dandelions are like weeds, also known as yellow flowers. They grow randomly in the gaps between stone bricks. It seems that they are not rare in the flower and grass atlases and picture albums under the sky.

"What did I lie to you for? Do you get any money from me?"

The Taoist priest had just raised his head and took a sip of water. Now he nodded vigorously and said vaguely: "If we refine a kind of Xianjia Shao Shao Pill from the mountain according to the prescription, the old man with white beard and hair can take it, and his hair will turn black again." , teeth regeneration, young and strong men took it, and the effect was amazing. Even though Zhang Hou was a teenager, he often stayed up late to read. Taking this pill, his eyes and ears were clear, and his muscles and bones were strong. It was no problem at all. .”

Xue Ruyi laughed and said: "What a coincidence, the Taoist priest happens to have such a bottle of secret elixir on hand, right? The price is not cheap, but acquaintances can get a 50% discount?"

"No, there is no such coincidence in the world."

The Taoist tilted his head and spit out a sip of water. He placed the wooden brush in a white bowl at an angle and placed it at his feet. He shook his head and said, "Miss Xue, do you still remember the porridge and vegetables from the past few days? She also said they were fresh and delicious. I asked Pindao if it was What kind of vegetables are these, but Pindao was careful at that time and deliberately didn't reveal that they were actually the early spring leaves of dandelions. They only need to be cooked in a pot, and then mixed with Pindao's secret hot sauce and sesame oil. Just come and eat white rice porridge, the delicacies of mountains and seas are incomparable."

Xue Ruyi nodded. This Taoist master was very good at rewarding the Five Zang Temple, and he didn't spend much money.

The Taoist priest asked tentatively: "If Miss Xue is sincere, I can refine a batch of elixirs according to that prescription. Zhang Hou wants to pass the college examination. He has been studying too hard recently. He needs to make up for it. It will take some time." , Dandelion is old, and the elixir will not be as effective."

Xue Ruyi rolled her eyes, and after all the roundabout ways, you still want to swindle money out of my pocket?

A swing swayed on its own without the need for anyone else to push it. As it rose and fell, she looked at the high and low flowers and plants.

I vaguely remember the red wall and yellow wintersweet many years ago, so beautiful.

According to this Taoist priest, if a person is lucky enough to be born in a prosperous age, he will forget all his worries. If he is proficient in the art of planting flowers and plants, it will be like spring all year round, which will make people unaware of the approaching old age.

Therefore, a courtyard is well-kept, with ground plants or potted plants, luxuriant flowers and plants, and fragrant fragrance. Different flower species bloom in sequence, some are strong but not demonic, some are light but not cold.

In the courtyard of the house, there are as many as seven or eight kinds of flowers that are offered as spring offerings by Taoist priests. In addition to pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms, there are also several pots of flowers that the Taoist priests say are the "masters" of welcoming the spring.

A few words were said beautifully, but in fact they were just taken out and sold by Taoist priests for money.

For example, there is a pot of old flowers that the scholar brought from nowhere. The branches are as thick as a woman's arm, some of them have peeled off and the bones are exposed. The old roots protrude like dragon claws. They are planted in a red sand pot with an ancient and slanted shape. Even if he is just a layman, Xue Ruyi knows this bonsai and has no worries about paying a high price for it.

Those peonies, which the Taoist priests call "spring flowers in the palace", are planted in sunny places. When the weather is cold and the ground is freezing, the Taoist priests even cover them with straw. After spring this year, the Taoist priests will water them every day. Before, he had specially poured manure water and fertilized once, which made Xue Ruyi frown.

Xue Ruyi glanced at the flower pots neatly placed in the corner. The branches were slender and slightly creeping, and the flowers bloomed in light yellow.

Many bonsais come and go in the courtyard, and they have probably been replaced with pieces of silver. But this flower has not been touched since it appeared. It may be that the Taoist priest particularly likes it, and of course it is more likely that it cannot be sold at a good price. , just don’t sell it at all.

She pointed and asked, "Which pots of 'golden belts' do you love most?"

This flower has a more popular name, winter jasmine.

The Taoist priest raised his head and looked at the corner of the wall, nodded and said: "A poor Taoist is like a famous general to flowers and trees. The more the better, and we will not reject anyone who comes. This flower is the first to welcome the spring, and it can bloom before the plum blossoms. Moreover, it blooms in large numbers and has a long flowering period." , so Pindao likes this flower the most, no one else."

She asked absently: "Wu Di, what is your real name?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and said: "Chen Jianxian. What you see is a sage."

She was stunned. Are you so honest?

The Taoist priest sincerely suggested: "Miss Xue can call me by my full name from now on."

Read the name silently twice, Chen Jianxian, Chen Jianxian? Finally coming back to his senses, Xue Ruyi sighed, "If a dog can't spit out ivory from its mouth, it won't tell the truth!"

Wu Di, invincible. Chen Jianxian, Chen Jianxian?

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and said: "Okay, why are you scolding me? Pindao is already old now, and he is good at cultivating his mind and character. When Pindao was young and vigorous, he would have to argue with you, especially It’s the youthful years when you hate evil as much as you hate it, haha.”

What a veritable liar.

Xue Ruyi was too lazy to answer the question and asked, "I never asked, what are you doing here in the capital?"

"Reminiscing about old times."

"Reminiscing about old times? Who are you looking for? Family members, distant relatives? Or friends you met in the world? You can't make a living outside, so you plan to find friends on the street to make a living and work together to deceive people?"

The Taoist priest who called himself Chen Jianxian shook his head and said with a smile: "None of them."

Xue Ruyi suddenly became interested and joked: "You can't be here seeking revenge, right?"

She turned to look at the Taoist priest. Maybe she thought her statement was too funny. She couldn't help laughing and laughed to herself, "Just you? Those unskilled ghost-drawing talismans can't even scare me. You really want to follow others." How many young men can you beat in a fight?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Have you not seen that I practice boxing and walking every morning and evening? There is no need for magical skills. It is not a problem to beat two or three young men with bare hands."

She rolled her eyes and just walked back and forth for a few steps. There are dozens of martial arts schools in the capital, large and small. I guess they can knock you down with just any martial arts style.

"Let's talk about it. If you are really seeking revenge, I can help you make plans. Maybe if a murder occurs, I can also help you cover your escape."

She is also someone who is not too big to watch the excitement.

The Taoist priest shook his head and said: "Miss Xue, please stop making wild guesses. It's just reminiscing about old times. Making noises, beating and killing people is not the behavior of a good citizen with an innocent background like me."

If he hadn't known about a certain long-term plan of the Ma family in advance, he would definitely have come to Yuxuanguo earlier to "reminisce about the past."

Of course, it would be meaningless for the two sides to meet earlier. It is very likely that they will not seek revenge and will be eradicated by their enemies.

After escorting Li Baoping and the others to Sui Academy, they traveled south to Aoping Continent for the first time, and met Ma Kuxuan in a foreign land and had a fight.

Things are unpredictable. I never thought that I would stay there for so long during my second trip to the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

When he successfully returns to Haoran Tianxia, ​​he starts a sect, builds a sect, borrows mountains and rivers to make up for the land shortage, and goes to the outer world to refine swords...

Xue Ruyi said for no reason, "A biting dog never barks. I think a person like you may look like a soft piece of dough, but if you get ruthless and use a knife in your hand, you must be extremely ruthless."

The Taoist priest looked calm and said with a smile: "The joys and sorrows in the world, love and hatred, are all like slowly brewing wine. Only when you open the mud seal and drink wine, you must be happy and drink heavily."

Xue Ruyi turned around and said, "Terrible."

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "There have never been fewer people who are not afraid of heaven and earth."

She had no reason to remember that among the officials in the nearby county government, there were private loan sharks and people selling private salt. Of course, the officials would not do it themselves. They had their henchmen and minions to do such dirty work, and they had backers. The patron's patron seems to be a minister of the Ministry of Justice. As for who the patron of this minister is, she doesn't know, Lord Shangshu? His Majesty the Emperor? Or a certain immortal who has accomplished Taoism on the mountain?

Xue Ruyi asked: "You said they are so rich, why don't they know how to stop? They have earned more money than they can spend in several lifetimes, and their families have piled up a lot of money, right?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "If there are many so-called ice-cutting families, if they don't have such a style of conduct, they are focused on plundering people's wealth, busy breaking bones and sucking marrow every day, and have no taboos in their conduct, they will not be able to become 'so rich' as ​​Miss Xue said. Okay. There’s a sequence hidden here, but it’s actually not complicated.”

Xue Ruyi choked on her words.

Chatting with him is okay, but as long as it involves reasoning, it's boring.

In the past, this Taoist priest would go to the frozen river with many people to cut ice and sell it for money. It seemed that he was willing to do anything that could make money, such as bonsai, and he was very good at it.

She remembered that not long after the Taoist priest came to the house, she had a rough idea of ​​his character. No matter how obsessed with money he was, she only said that he was indeed a gentleman when it came to men and women.

So before, she often teased this man who was as serious as a Taoist, but one day the Taoist just said a word and disgusted her. After that, she had no idea of ​​teasing the Taoist anymore. She was sitting on the swing at that time. The middle-aged Taoist priest was also sitting on the steps behind him. He turned around and asked Wu Di with a smile if he was looking at her butt.

In fact, before that, the Taoist priests would pretend not to hear any of her dirty talk and never talk to her.

Probably because he was really tired of being pestered by her, the Taoist said, "If your butt is bigger, can you poop a few more pounds?"

vulgar! Obscene!

Xue Ruyi sighed for no reason, "Flowers and grass are in autumn."

Whether they are cultivators or ghosts, how they view birth, old age, sickness and death at the foot of the mountain is any different from how an ordinary master sees the flowers blooming and falling in this courtyard.

She turned around and asked, "How did you become a Qi practitioner?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "By chance, I learned mountain climbing when I was young."

She turned back and said softly: "You are a smart person. You must have guessed that as a ghost, the reason why I can live here for a long time must be based on something."

The Taoist priest nodded, it was easy to understand and it was not difficult to guess, "There is someone above."

Over at the Chenghuang Temple in the capital, there was a high-ranking judge with whom she seemed to have been an old acquaintance during their lifetimes.

The judge visited the house twice at night to meet with her. But it’s a bit like a private interview on Weibo, without much fanfare.

Yin and Yang each have their own officialdom. As the capital of the Yuxuan Kingdom, the Temple of the City God has twenty-four divisions as a rule. As the right-hand man of the City God, this civil judge oversees six of the divisions, including the Yin and Yang Division, the head of the divisions. But this is an old almanac that has been turned over. Now, it’s hard to say.

As long as you are in the officialdom, no matter how knowledgeable or capable you are, or whether you are in the world of heaven or the underworld, you will always be afraid of being unsociable.

Xue Ruyi suddenly turned his head, his face was as frosty and filled with evil spirits.

The Taoist priest said helplessly: "Miss Xue, you are a serious person, what are you thinking about?"

Let’s just say, read less novels about talented people and beautiful women, and read more classics and commentaries.

Xue Ruyi said angrily: "Then do you know what I think?!"

The Taoist priest said: "If you want to inflict a crime, why bother?"

Seeing that the female ghost still looked ugly, the Taoist priest could only explain: "You said that Pindao is just greedy for money, but lustful? Miss Xue, you may not trust Pindao's character, but you can't help but believe in your own vision of people, right?"

Xue Ruyi thinks this statement is reasonable.

The Taoist priest asked curiously: "Can I take the liberty to ask, who is Miss Xue's backer in the officialdom? How big an official does she have to be? To allow Miss Xue to settle down just a few steps away from the county government office, there is no such thing as the county god." Any ghost official or ghost messenger comes to our door."

Xue Ruyi sneered: "I am good friends with General Shao of the County God's Temple. Are you afraid?"

The Taoist priest swallowed secretly, stood up, clasped his fists towards the county God's Temple, shook his fists a few times, and said in a deep voice: "I am a poor Taoist who devotes himself to practice, has a righteous spirit, and is not allowed to do evil. He is never afraid of walking at night. Not to mention General Shackles , whose duty is to punish rape and eradicate evil, the most important thing is to enforce the law impartially, especially General Shao of our county, and the seventh and eighth masters are well-known as good officials! If only I could speak at the Capital God's Temple , I have long suggested that these three adults should be promoted and reused."

Xue Ruyi rubbed the center of his brows, they couldn't listen to you being so flattering.

This place is no better than anywhere else, even the county god doesn’t care.

"Chen Jianxian, don't you have a woman you like?"

Otherwise, how could he be so homeless?

"Yes, why not?"

"Is it really true?"

Xue Ruyi knew that the other party was a genuine Qi practitioner. Although his realm was not worth mentioning, two realms? Is he just a three-level qigong practitioner? But after all, he is the one with one foot on the mountain.

She joked: "Which girl? How old is she? Is she about your age or a young woman? Is the other person obsessed with you before he falls in love with you? When you reach middle age, everything will stop. You said you are so old Now, you are over forty, and you have accomplished nothing. You are wandering around all day long relying on a Taoist family to pay ultimatums. If you find an opportunity, bring it over and show it to me. Oh, I must break you up to save you from harming others."

In fact, this Taoist priest sets up a fortune-telling stall every day and makes a lot of money, which is much better than ordinary small households in the capital.

But as a Qi practitioner, it's not enough. How many years would it take for you to be exposed to wind and sun every day and earn a piece of snow?

Chen Pingan smiled and said, "Then you can't break them apart."

Xue Ruyi turned around and joked: "The woman who likes you probably doesn't look good, right?"

The middle-aged man sitting on the steps smiled and just crossed his arms across his chest, looking up at the moon with gentle eyes.

Xue Ruyi curled her lips.

Ouch, so sour.

Maybe the man behind him is hopeless, maybe the woman he misses so much looks ordinary, but after all, they love each other.

A man's mouth is a liar and a sweet talker.

But looks can't deceive.

The Taoist priest took out a vermilion wine gourd, an old object with a shiny pulp.

Xue Ruyi smelled the aroma of wine and couldn't help but ask: "Which restaurant has such delicious wine?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "It's natural for home-brewed wine to taste good. It is generally recognized as cheap and good-quality, but you have to drink it sparingly."

Xue Ruyi simply stood up and stood on the swing.

I remember that when the middle-aged Taoist priest first moved into the house, there was no one swinging on the swing, and a series of delicate laughter sounded like silver bells.

The passing Taoist priest was so frightened that he immediately grabbed a bunch of talismans from his sleeves. His wrists were trembling. He took out the fire talisman, lit the talisman, raised it high, stepped on it, and swung it around. A fire dragon flew out from the swing. He ran away, shouting some mantras and mantras passed down by an unknown Taoist lineage. He slammed the door shut with extremely fast and crackling movements, and covered the door, walls and windows with worthless yellow paper talismans. .

The Taoist priest looked at the back of the figure standing on the swing, sighed, picked up the wine gourd in his hand, and took a silent sip of wine.

The paradoxical scene is also a swing inside the wall and a way outside the wall.

Xue Ruyi joked: "By the way, who are you looking for to reminisce about the past? We have been in the capital for so long and we haven't even seen each other? It's so difficult to meet in person. Could it be His Majesty the Emperor?"

The Taoist priest seemed unwilling to mention the matter and changed the subject, "In a few days, it will be the Spring Equinox. Miss Xue should pay more attention."

The weather reaches the vernal equinox, when the yin and yang phase is exactly half-way, day and night are even, and the cold and heat are equal.

For ghosts in the world, the period after the Waking of Insects and before the Tomb Sweeping Day is relatively difficult, especially after the Spring Equinox, when the yang energy gradually becomes stronger and strikes the yin, causing thunder to occur.

Xue Ruyi was obviously not interested. Although she was a female ghost, she was an accomplished spiritual creature, almost a heroic spirit. Naturally, she was not afraid of the natural thunder and lightning that followed the movements of the solar terms.

The middle-aged Taoist priest just mentioned it casually, rubbing his hands and saying: "On the vernal equinox, I will show off my skills again and set up a table of spring dishes for you. On the vernal equinox, you will eat spring vegetables, bamboo shoots, green wormwood, and chrysanthemum buds... The poor Taoist travels all over the world, going all over the world. In many places, after the Spring Equinox, there is the Peach Blossom Flood near Caiyi Country. The mandarin fish and crucian carp in the river are delicious when steamed and braised. Further south, near the sea, if it is this season, come and serve a big plate of stir-fried clams. Leeks, tsk.”

Xue Ruyi said angrily: "Do you only know how to eat?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Food is the most important thing for people."

Xue Ruyi choked for a moment, jumped off the swing, intertwined his fingers, and stretched.

The Taoist priest looked up at the sky and said softly: "If there is rain on the spring equinox, it is a good year, but this year the capital will probably be sunny without rain."

Looking away, the Taoist smiled and said: "I have calculated with my fingers. On the Qingming Festival, there may be thunder, and the movement will be relatively loud. Miss Xue won't have to think too much then."

Xue Ruyi sneered and said: "It turns out that Daozhang Chen can not only predict people, but also God? The real person doesn't show his face."

The Taoist priest said: "All kinds of knowledge, difficult and profound, are just a matter of 'accumulation of thoughts and sudden interpretation'. It is neither difficult nor difficult."

Xue Ruyi shook her wrist and planned to return.

The Taoist priest pointed to the flower hall on the side of the main hall behind him, "Miss Xue, in the past few days, I may want to use this precious land to say hello to Miss Xue."

Xue Ruyi nodded and asked doubtfully: "What are you going to do? Are you planning to entertain friends? Are you worried that I will come out and disturb the situation?"

The Taoist priest shook his head and said with a smile: "The secret of heaven must not be revealed."

Xue Ruyi reminded: "It's okay to have a banquet, but don't call a few brothel girls over to have fun and add to the fun, it will be a mess!"

The Taoist priest waved his hands repeatedly, "It's easy to get dozens of taels of silver. Is it drinking money or drinking money?"

Xue Ruyi sneered and said, "I do know the market. It turns out that people are not romantic only because they are poor."

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Men are most afraid of pretending to be stupid and crazy. They can do something when they have money, but they can be tempted even if they don't have money. A person like Pindao, who is so famous and famous, is actually honest and honest."

Xue Ruyi drifted away.

The Taoist priest walked into the side hall, glanced at the long table, nodded, made fists with his hands and twisted them gently, preparing to go to his residence to get pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and show off his skills here.

As soon as he turned his head, the Taoist priest saw a head hanging on the ground in front of his eyes. He subconsciously punched it. His fist stopped just in front of the female ghost and said angrily: "Xue Ruyi, you will scare people to death!"

The female ghost floated down, and the Taoist priest strode out of the side hall angrily. She followed behind him and asked, "Why do you want to borrow the flower hall?"

The Taoist priest said angrily: "It's not easy to live in the capital. Horses don't get fat without night, and poor Taoists can't earn money to earn rent."

The female ghost yawned, "I'm surprised. You are a Qi practitioner with three legs, but you are also a Qi practitioner. Why do you like money so much?"

"To live a life of firewood, rice, oil and salt, you should not recognize money but not people, just don't have the word 'only'. To be a god, the so-called real person, is just being serious and not recognizing people, don't have the word 'only'."

"To cultivate the Tao, there are thousands of paths, and all methods can only be explained in one word."

Xue Ruyi frowned and asked, "What's the explanation?"

"Heart."

"The form and spirit are unified, and the heart and spirit are in agreement."

Probably because he has been wandering around for many years and is accustomed to the world, he is very familiar with all kinds of heresy. In short, this fake Taoist priest is not high in cultivation and has very mixed knowledge.

Anyway, she can pick up the conversation no matter what she talks about.

The Taoist priest eloquently said as he walked, "Earth Immortals, Land Immortals, half of heaven and earth, take their forms and live in the world, permanently in the human world, with long life spans, almost immortal."

"Ghost cultivators who attain enlightenment are called ghost immortals. But compared to the former real people on land, they are still slightly inferior. After all, they are ghosts with clear spirits who have given up the outer body of the Yang God and only have a Yin God. It does not count. The true great road, therefore, has unknown gods and unknown mountains. Although it is possible to avoid falling into reincarnation, it is still difficult to gain access to the green path. There is nowhere to go forward and nowhere to return. It is even more difficult to attain enlightenment..."

Xue Ruyi followed beside him and listened in a daze. Many of the contents were the first time she heard about them.

I don’t know which supernatural novel he copied it from.

Seeing the middle-aged Taoist priest stop and start to take out his sleeves, he raised his head and said with a smile: "Miss Xue, we are so familiar with each other, it can be considered a hit-or-miss relationship. Don't think that the poor Taoist gangsters are so good at reading. In fact, the one who is really good at it is A talisman. Why not make a deal? For a monk like Miss Xue, the most miraculous effect is just to take a bath and fast, then burn the talisman, light three sticks of incense, and recite silently in your heart several times, someone and three people salute the three mountains and nine Mr. Hou, there is no red tape and the effect is incredible!"

She sneered and said, "The old trick is repeated, but we have to kill it again?! Don't you know how to do it in a new way?"

The Taoist priest sighed, "Not to mention the other talismans, they are indeed a little inferior, but do you think I have ever taken the initiative to sell talismans to Miss Xue? This talisman is the only one that is genuine and fair. It is a small price to buy one. Make money, buy a bunch of them and you will make a lot of money. In short, the more you buy, the more you will earn. If Pindao had not had a quarrel with Miss Xue, he would never show it to others easily."

Xue Ruyi sneered: "It's so good, why don't you use it yourself?"

The Taoist priest looked at her with pity in his eyes.

It's the kind of look in the eyes of a wise man pitying a fool.

She knew she had made a mistake, and it was true that the other party had spoken of a monk like her. She hesitated for a moment, then waved her hand, "Let me take a look at it first to check its merits."

Ordinary yellow talisman paper, ground with cinnabar and made into ink. Three mountains are drawn on the talisman paper. It is weird and does not look like a serious talisman.

Not wanting to be taken advantage of, even though she had already made up her mind, she still asked: "How many copper coins does a talisman cost?"

The Taoist priest complained: "What are you thinking about? How many copper coins? I can't even buy a piece of talisman paper!"

Xue Ruyi said: "At Lao Liutou's shop in the next street, how much does such low-quality yellow paper cost per knife? If Director Chen can cut it smaller, wouldn't it be a huge profit?"

No wonder the Taoist priest called Lao Liutou every time he saw him.

"The talisman paper is not expensive and the magic is high. It is said that if the mountain is not high, there will be immortals and spirits. The same is true for the talisman and the talisman. When drawing the talisman, it depends on the boldness of the talisman. The quality of the talisman paper is secondary."

Seeing that the Taoist priest remained calm and didn't blush, he took out a few more talismans from his sleeves and said, "That's all. Miss Xue has a good taste after all, so it doesn't matter. The quality of these talismans by Pindao is better, but the price is a bit expensive." . Those who hold the bottom of the box are usually kept secret..."

Tsk tsk, he is indeed a businessman who is used to doing business. He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

"Stop talking about poor people and poor people. Master Chen Xian, aren't you embarrassed?"

Xue Ruyi threw the talisman back to the Taoist priest and walked away.

On the vernal equinox, there is no rain and the earth is warm.

During an outing on the outskirts of the capital, in addition to the officials' children in bright clothes and angry horses, there were many beauties by the water, with spring streamers hanging on their heads.

The sky is full of kites, nimble swallows, extremely long centipedes, or kites fighting each other. The time-honored kite shops in the capital have made a lot of money.

According to the court etiquette, the emperor and the monarch must worship the sun at the altar on the vernal equinox.

After today's sacrifice, His Majesty Emperor Yuxuanguo will ask the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites to send a picture of the spring ox made in the palace to the imperial officials above the fourth rank, two pages of red paper with dragon patterns, and two words written by a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. Famous aphorisms about the fourteen solar terms, fresh poems, and a farming picture carefully drawn by the painting academy. Most of the people responsible for delivering the pictures are good-looking young officials from the Ministry of Rites, and new scholars from other ministries often also participate. , they are known as the Spring Officials on this day. Those relatives of the emperor and the concierges of the mansions of generals and ministers need to return a symbolic red envelope to the Spring Officials. There are "love talkers" with similar status in the capital. Officials send pictures to officials. Some common people who are quick-minded and have good money will send pictures to rich people. After knocking on the door, they say something similar to the host's house. It is auspicious words to say that it is against the farming season and there are five winds and ten rains. After a busy day, as long as your legs and feet are smart and you visit enough houses on the street, you can make a lot of money. Of course, there are more rejections. Some wealthy families are so annoyed by frequent knocks on the door asking for red envelopes that they simply ask the concierge to evict them.

In the capital city of Yuxuan Kingdom, some seasoned poets would go to Yongjia Street, even if they walked a long way. Most of the streets were filled with extremely wealthy families, otherwise they would not name the streets with the name of the county. Natural rotation They didn't expect people like them from the market to send pictures to their homes, but they only went to a family named Ma, because they would definitely not run away in vain, and everyone would get a big red envelope. It is said that the concierge of this family is handing out red envelopes all day long. As long as he comes to the door to send pictures and says a few good words about good harvests and good weather, he will be rewarded with a share of six taels of silver! No matter how tired the Ma family's concierge is, he always smiles and is extremely kind to all the sweethearts who send pictures.

There are two counties in the capital. Generally speaking, the north is rich and the south is poor. The latter is mainly under the jurisdiction of Changning County Government.

Two love talkers who ran from the north to the south to make a living, one old and one young, one sent pictures of spring cattle and the other said auspicious words, ran for a whole day from morning to night, raking away the filial piety that had to be handed over to a certain Jianghu gang. In fact, they only earned three taels of silver, so there was nothing they could do about it. This seemingly temporary business had a lot of rules and regulations that needed to be followed year after year. Not everyone could be a sweet talker, let alone run around and knock on people. If you don't follow the rules, you will be blocked in the streets and beaten up if you are not careful. However, some of them are in the streets, and there is a certain chance of "picking up". In the dusk, the young people are fine, but the old people are a little tired. No one knocks on the door on this street. A thin old man is sitting on a step, supporting his waist with one hand and knocking his leg with the other. It seems that he is going to leave empty-handed. Are the residents of this street so poor? Logically speaking, being so close to the Changning County government office, we shouldn't be in such a tight situation. Previously, the old man gritted his teeth and spent eight coins to buy a street full of pictures to express his love. The eight coins were just wasted, old man. The frown is frowning, and there is no splash.

The young man said he wanted to try his luck elsewhere. The old man smiled and said no. The young man carrying a basket squatted down and helped the old man beat his legs gently.

The door of the house creaked open, and a middle-aged Taoist priest walked out. The young man immediately stood up and took out a picture of spring cows from the bamboo box behind his back. Grandpa was already very tired, so the opening remarks that were supposed to be made by grandpa, but the young man followed him all the way today, were actually all Since he had memorized everything by heart, he could do it for him. But before the young man could speak, the Taoist priest smiled and waved his hand, and said two words, "Come with me."

The word "fellow" is more effective than any polite refusal.

The young man was greatly disappointed, with a doubtful look on his face. Forget it if you don't give money, there is no need for an excuse, it is a normal thing, but why does this Taoist priest need to trick others.

The middle-aged Taoist priest reached out and took out a piece of rice paper from his sleeve, shook it gently, stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The drafts of the Spring Cow Pictures in this large area of ​​​​Changning County were all drawn by the poor Taoist himself."

The old man immediately stood up, quickly glanced at the so-called spring cow picture manuscript, bowed his hands in salute, and then asked with a smile: "How can the Taoist still draw the spring cow picture?"

The Taoist priest bowed his head and made a gesture with one hand in return, "I am a poor Taoist and a poor man."

"May I ask how much the Spring Ox painting painted by the director costs?"

"Ten cents."

"The price is so low?! How come it's half cheaper than the one in Yongjia County?"

The pictures sent by the public about spring are almost rougher than the last, and they are completely different from the pictures of spring cows produced by the officials, both in material and content.

"A poor man but a kind man."

"Then can I make a reservation with the Taoist priest for one hundred spring cow paintings next year?"

The Taoist priest shook his head and said with a smile: "Unfortunately, the poor Taoist is just wandering here, settling down temporarily, and will not stay for a long time."

The young man finally spoke and said tentatively: "I heard that there is a fortune-telling stall near the Changning County government office. The fortune-telling is very accurate. It is very good at drawing lots, palmistry, fortune telling and copper coin divination."

The middle-aged Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled, "It's just a coincidence. If there is no accident, it is a poor Taoist who is far away and right in front of us."

The young man's face was full of unexpected joy, "The Taoist priest is really the unyielding Wu Immortal?!"

The Taoist priest narrowed his eyes and twirled his beard, "You have gained a false reputation."

Over there on the wall, the female ghost in a colorful dress rolled her eyes.

The old man on the side of the steps hesitated to speak. He just glanced at the young man who was dependent on each other. His eyes were full of longing and hope, and he couldn't bear to say anything.

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Is this young master counting marriage or wealth?"

The young man blushed instantly, why did he still call him Young Master? This Taoist Priest was too kind.

The young man plucked up the courage and said, "These don't count. I just want to ask if I can ask the Taoist priest to help me draw some talismans. It's like putting a pot on the roadside and burning talisman paper in it to pay homage to the ancestors from a distance." people."

The Taoist priest asked in confusion: "Why don't you visit the tombs and burn paper during the Qingming Festival?"

The young man said: "My grandfather and I are foreigners. We came from the south. We have traveled a long way and our home was gone a long time ago."

The old man sighed. In fact, they were not biological grandfathers and grandchildren, and the twists and turns were difficult to describe in one sentence.

At first, the old man took care of a child, and later the child took care of the old man. They depended on each other, just like repaying debts to each other.

The Taoist priest asked: "If there is such a talisman, how much are you willing to spend on it?"

"All the money I have! If it's not enough for the time being, I can write an IOU with the Taoist Priest!"

"How can you take the documents seriously? How much savings do you have now?"

"Over the years, I have saved seven or eight pieces of silver and a jar of copper coins!"

"That's all?"

The young man was speechless. Old man guilt.

"A poor Taoist can draw three official talismans, which can bless the deceased, forgive sins and eliminate disasters."

The Taoist priest was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "It's just that this talisman is precious, and your little money is far from enough."

Just as the young man was about to speak, the Taoist priest looked impatient. He waved his sleeves and began to issue an order to expel the guests, "Don't say any more words."

The young man stood there, and the Taoist priest asked, "I'll give you ten days. Are you willing to borrow, steal, or rob to collect a hundred taels of silver?"

The dark and thin young man lowered his head with a sad expression.

The Taoist priest just looked at the young man and looked at himself in the young man's eyes.

Wait until the young man bows to express his thanks, and then leaves with the old man.

The homeless wanderer misses his hometown and feels depressed.

The female ghost on the other side of the wall had a gloomy expression.

Harsh words are as painful as swords and halberds.

The Taoist priest suddenly called to the young man. The young man turned his head blankly. The Taoist priest smiled and said, "Heaven moves vigorously. A gentleman should strive for self-improvement. God will help those who help themselves."

The Taoist priest waved his hand, "Go."

The young man was stunned for a moment and bowed again.

When the Taoist priest put his hands on his sleeves, he turned around and walked back to the house.

Xue Ruyi stood in the door and sneered: "What a cultivator, he is really hard-hearted! If you can't help, don't pretend to be a fool. If you take a step back, it's fine if you don't help, but you have to use some vain language tricks." , Disgusting or not!”

Originally, after getting along with him for a long time, her impression of this fake Taoist priest who was obsessed with making money improved, and she became somewhat close to him. But when she saw this scene with her own eyes today, she was really angry.

The Taoist smiled and said: "A person with an open mind has no empty words."

The female ghost in the colorful dress disappeared in a flash and said, "Get out of the house within three days."

The Taoist laughed it off.

The night falls.

The sound of a watch sounded in the distance on the street.

The two painted door gods posted on the door of the mansion flashed with golden light, and two senior officials from the Capital City God's Temple walked out. The man was dressed as a scribe, and the woman was wearing gold armor and carrying a seven-star copper coin sword.

Xue Ruyi noticed something strange at the door, and hurriedly came out of the attic and came to the entrance of the main hall to greet the guests. She bowed respectfully to them and said in a soft voice, "I have met Judge Hong, Sister Ji."

Judge Wen nodded slightly in greeting. He left the City God's Temple this time with only one confidant, and he had been in charge of the Yin and Yang Division for three hundred years.

The chief officials of the Yin and Yang Divisions in various Chenghuang temples, as the heads of all divisions, can be regarded as the first assistants of the City God.

The heroic woman who held an important position smiled and said: "Ruyi mother, long time no see, I hope you are well."

Xue Ruyi was a palace maid in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. She specially unboxed and inspected the pomegranate skirt for the empress in the history of Yuxuan Kingdom who was only one step away from usurping the throne and ascending to the throne. She was nicknamed Ruyi Niang.

She asked softly: "Has the head of the hospital examination case been decided yet?"

The Chenghuang Yingling, who was nicknamed Sister Ji by Xue Ruyi, sighed, "Not only the head of the case, but also the title of Huiyuan in Chunwei will give way to a idiot. In fact, the entire Chunwei of the capital, Hui Trial and In the palace examination, as expected, apart from Ma Che being the top pick, the other places such as second place, top pick, and top pick, etc., have long been determined behind closed doors."

Xue Ruyi bit her lips, her face full of sorrow, "Why is this? If it's Ma Che who has real talent and learning, then that's it. Why can those dandy kids pass the exam?!"

The chief officer of the Yin and Yang Division hesitated for a moment and then revealed the mystery, "Judge Wu is involved."

Xue Ruyi said angrily: "How dare they play such a childish trick on the balance of a country's cultural destiny?! Ji Xiaoping, you, Judge Hong, and the City God, you know this and don't care?!"

Ji Xiaoping said: "Judge Wu has his own set of excuses to explain that it is not about bending the law for personal gain. It involves matters such as Zu Yin, plus some good deeds in the world, etc. Xue Ruyi, you can understand that he has taken advantage of something. There is a loophole in the laws of Yinming. And the mountain of the Xiyue Prince that governs the Yuxuan Kingdom..."

Judge Wen frowned and said, "Be careful what you say."

Ji Xiaoping had no choice but to change her words: "Unless it's a complaint, burn a talisman and submit it to the inspection department of the Xiyue Mountain Lord's Mansion. It's just a complaint beyond the level, which has always been a taboo in official circles."

When Ji Xiaoping said this, she glanced at the judge beside her with a complicated expression.

Judge Wen laughed at himself: "Although it is not a situation where the Clay Bodhisattva will not be able to save himself when he crosses the river, now that I am in the Capital City God's Temple, I can no longer mobilize anyone except Ji Xiaoping's Yin and Yang Department. To be honest, even the Wen Yun Department has He has already switched his allegiance to the Judge Wu, and this is even true for the Department of Cultural Affairs, let alone the other departments. Haha, once the emperor and the courtiers, the yin and yang reach the same destination through different paths."

The power of the Chenghuang Temple's Cultural and Military Affairs Departments is not fixed, and it varies from time to time and from place to place, just like the salt house of the nearby county government.

Because according to the agreement with the ancestors of the Zhang family, as long as there is a first-class Jinshi with a glorious ancestor among the latter's descendants, she will have completed the contract.

Ji Xiaoping said: "It was deliberately done by someone behind the scenes who wanted to transfer Mr. Hong away from the City God's Temple, the capital of Yuxuan Kingdom."

At this point, she said angrily: "One rat droppings ruins a pot of porridge!"

Ji Xiaoping took a deep breath and continued to explain to Xue Ruyi: "Master Hong may go to the capital of Dali to serve as the city god of a state."

The transfer from the civil judge of the City God's Temple in the capital city of Yuxuan Kingdom to the City God of Yizhou in the Dali Dynasty cannot be regarded as a demotion, but a real success in officialdom.

Xue Ruyi immediately gave a blessing, held back the anger in his heart, and congratulated softly: "I am here to congratulate Judge Hong on his promotion."

Judge Wen said with a gloomy look: "In the officialdom, Gaosheng is naturally a high-sheng, but I am not willing to leave like this."

City God officials at all levels in various places in the world are not as particular about human relations as in the officialdom of the Yang world. They do not have any connections or affection to speak of, and they cannot remotely interfere in the affairs of other places. Once they leave a certain place, they are not allowed to interfere in the official affairs of the original place. This is an unshakable iron law. Unless a stranger is involved in something like a murder in a certain place, it is possible for the two Chenghuang temples to jointly handle the case.

Xue Ruyi smiled bitterly and said: "I have survived these years, just wait a few more years."

Judge Wen glanced at the courtyard outside the window and said with a smile: "This Taoist priest who only has a private ultimatum is a well-deserved elegant man."

Ji Xiaoping nodded and said: "Just by looking at the care of those flowers and trees, you can tell that this person is not ordinary. He is more like a man who lives in the mountains and is far from the money-grubbing person who smells like copper."

In a small hut, a Taoist priest was snoring.

Xue Ruyi got angry when she thought of this guy, and said with a dark face: "He claims his real name is Chen Jianxian."

Ji Xiaoping shook her head and said, "Just forget it, don't take it seriously."

Judge Hong smiled and said: "This pseudonym is better. When you see the good, think of them all, and choose the good."

Take the Dharma from the top, think about it when you see the virtuous, be cautious about being alone, and reflect on yourself when you see the virtuous.

Ji Xiaoping hesitated for a moment and said: "Miss Xue, neither Mr. Hong nor I can tell the depth of this temporary guest. He may be the kind of outsider who likes to play with the world, or he may be a liar. It's hard to say. .After all, he is not a native of Yuxuan Kingdom. We cannot check the archives. We do not know his true place of origin. The customs clearance documents related to the private documents are clearly forged. The key is that he has not violated any prohibitions or violations in the capital. , we won’t be able to access the secret books from other countries.”

It was impossible for her to let the Capital God's Temple deal with the Dali Dynasty for such a private matter.

The capital city is so big, but the other party chose this house as a place to stay, so Xue Ruyi couldn't help but suspect that the other party had intentions. As the civil judge of the Capital City God's Temple, I visited this place at night twice before. In addition to coming to see old friends, I also wanted to determine the level of cultivation of this fake Taoist priest and whether he had ulterior motives for plotting against the house and the secret treasure. The Qi practitioner, Especially the kind of Yamazawa Yexiu who would do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He would not use any means.

In fact, Chen Pingan was just passing by by chance without any intention or intention.

It's just a magic weapon that has already been famous and has an owner. It's worth money, and it's not the kind of thing that has no owner. Is it possible that it still needs to be taken by force?

Ji Xiaoping's expression suddenly changed and she said, "Is he here?"

Ma Kuxuan!

She didn't even dare to call him by his first name.

Judge Wen also had a headache and nodded: "I just entered the city. I had a drink with Song Fu, the god of Zhe'er Mountain, and then disappeared. I don't know why I didn't enter the capital until now."

In the hut, the Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes, but soon his breathing was like thunder.