Chapter 86: A Chance Encounter Halfway (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Ma Ma Shidi, Xiao Xiao Shimei..."

The Third Shixiong took out a few Ta Guo from the bamboo basket, handed them to Lin Jue and his Xiao Xiao Shimei respectively, then sat down in the fallen leaves, took out the wine gourd, and took a bite of the Ta Guo first.

"I always feel that the Ta Guo made by Ma Ma Shidi is even more delicious than those sold at the foot of the mountain!"

"It's just because I used good meat and was willing to use ingredients," Lin Jue said, sitting on the ground with the Ta Guo in his hand, but still looking up at the sky.

"That's how it should be! Hmm, it's just a bit dry!" The Third Shixiong said, took the wine gourd and took a sip, immediately showing a look of satisfaction, shaking his head and chanting, "One cup to discuss tomorrow's affairs, sending off the setting sun and the moon is born again. Autumn wind to drink wine, it's just right!"

"Senior Ma Shidi..."

"No—"

"No, it's that it seems like it's going to rain." Lin Jue looked at the wine gourd generously handed over by the Third Shixiong and remained unmoved. "Should we find a better place to avoid the rain?"

"Is it? Just a light rain?"

"Heavy rain."

"How do you know?"

"Learned from alchemy."

"Eh? This thing also has this function?"

"Yes."

Alchemy requires attention to time, solar terms, and rain, snow, wind, and sunshine. Although Lin Jue couldn't predict it in advance, he had some judgment when it was imminent.

The three held the Ta Guo and looked up at the sky at the same time.

Sure enough, after a while, the originally white sky became much darker, and many clouds like ink marks scattered randomly were floating horizontally and vertically in the sky, and these clouds were gathering into a group.

It seems it's really going to rain heavily.

The Third Shixiong scratched his head.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a gong.

The three lowered their heads and looked in the direction of the sound.

They thought it had long passed the dusk boundary, and the light in the mountains was much darker. There was only one road in the mountain forest that could pass a carriage, winding to somewhere unknown. The further away it looked, the darker it became. No one was seen coming from behind, but a carriage team was walking slowly from the front.

The sound of the gong came from here.

The sky was too dark, and it wasn't until they got closer that they could see clearly.

There were quite a few people in this team—

Two young students clearing the way in front, each holding a golden gong, hitting it twice as they walked. Behind them were two sturdy servants riding jujube-red horses. Behind them was a carriage pulled by two horses. Beside the carriage followed four children and four maids, and behind the carriage were four more people.

The three under the tree couldn't help but look at each other.

The fox was staring at them curiously.

"Spirit monster?"

His Xiao Xiao Shimei saw something wrong and asked in a low voice.

"No," the Third Shixiong said. "It should be a large household in a village in the mountains. Don't be rude."

"Can I ask for directions?" Lin Jue also stared at the front.

"Can I?"

"Then just ask for directions," Lin Jue's eyes flickered. "So as not to let the heavy rain ruin the pills and heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

"Ma Ma Shidi is reliable. You should be the Senior Ma Shidi next time."

"That's fine."

Lin Jue watched them approach, took a sword, stepped out of the square frame, and walked to the road to wait first.

The sky was really dark, and it was even darker under the tree. The Daoist walked onto the road, and this group of people saw him, so they stopped immediately, all looking at him, and looking back behind them.

"Why did you stop?"

A voice came from the carriage.

Then the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and an old man poked his head out.

"Hmm?" The old man looked at him unexpectedly. "It's so late, why is the Daoist alone on this mountain road?"

"Old gentleman, greetings." Lin Jue bowed to him, thought for a moment, and explained, "It's just that we are lazy and dull, didn't make a route plan, walked to this halfway up the mountain, and it got dark. There is no village in front and no shop behind. I originally thought that it wouldn't be cold in the middle of autumn, so I would just make do for a night in the mountains. I didn't expect to see this sky, it's going to rain soon. Seeing the old gentleman's procession, I came to ask if there is an inn nearby?"

Under the tree behind, his Xiao Xiao Shimei was sitting upright, but couldn't help turning her eyeballs to the side, looking at the Third Shixiong.

The Third Shixiong was also looking at her.

Their eyes met, and his Xiao Xiao Shimei turned her eyeballs back like flying.

"Oh! It's really going to rain!" The old man looked up at the sky, his expression kind. "Where did the Daoist come from?"

"Came from this side."

"Came from this side and going to that side, oh, then you have to walk to Huaishu Store to have accommodation. That's thirty miles away. Even if you walk well, it will take an hour and a half." The old gentleman was kind-hearted, paused as he spoke, squinted his eyes and looked at this young Taoist, seeing that he had a tender face, and couldn't bear it. "You can only borrow accommodation in the nearby village."

"Please enlighten me, old gentleman."

"You walk forward, about two miles, pass the first earth mound, and not long after passing it, on your right hand side, there is a small path. Follow it in, and you will arrive at our village."

"Can I borrow accommodation in the village?"

"The villagers are kind and can borrow accommodation," the old gentleman said with a smile. "The village is surnamed Zhang. There is a large household in the village. That family, hehe, is a kind person and also quite wealthy. They like to do good deeds. It is the family at the head of the village. You can just go to his house to stay. That family is called Zhang Yu. Just say it was me, Zhang Yuande, who told you."

"That's great!"

Lin Jue couldn't help but brighten his eyes:

"Many thanks, old gentleman!"

"Daoist, you are polite. Walk faster, maybe you can still catch up with a good meal."

"Many thanks, many thanks!"

Lin Jue was respectful, stepped aside, and waited while bowing.

Looking back, the fox was already by his side, and the Third Shixiong and his Xiao Xiao Shimei had also packed their luggage and walked out of the square frame.

"See!"

The Third Shixiong also smiled and said to them: "I said it, there will be a way when the cart reaches the mountain, and it will be straight when the boat reaches the bridge. Why worry so much?"

The two looked at each other and said nothing.

The sky was getting darker and darker.

Lin Jue took out a very small lantern, not much bigger than a palm, whispered two sentences in his mouth, and the lantern lit up. He hung it in front of Donkey Shixiong with a long whistle stick.

His Xiao Xiao Shimei stared at him, puzzled—

Why is it that they cultivate together every day, but he can always learn some new magic techniques?

The light could only illuminate a small area.

The group continued to walk forward.

A pavilion every ten miles, a mound every five miles.

Two miles is just a bend in the mountains.

Sure enough, he saw an earth mound.

Walking past the earth mound, there really was a small path leading to a village behind the mountain. By the time the sky was dim and even the shadows of the distant mountains could not be seen, he saw the lights in the distance, and at the same time, some blowing, hitting, crying, and shouting sounds were vaguely transmitted.

The closer they got, the clearer the sound.

It was a family at the head of the village, lighting lights in the dark night, holding a funeral inside and outside the ancestral hall.

The group looked at each other and walked over with the lantern.

"May I ask if this is Zhang Yu's house?"

Seeing the sudden arrival of several Daoists, the neighbors who came to help were very surprised and hurriedly invited the master of the house from the ancestral hall.

But the master of the house was also puzzled.

"Daoist, this is? Oh! My family's affairs have already been invited to be handled by Daoists." The master of the house wiped the tears on his face and said.

A few drops of rain fell on them.

"Benefactor, you misunderstood. We are not here to grab the funeral business of our peers," the Third Shixiong said, ignoring the falling raindrops. "We are Daoists from Mount Yishan. We went on a long journey and happened to encounter a change in the weather halfway. We didn't want to get rained on. We heard that the owner of this place is a kind person, so we specifically searched for it to borrow accommodation for a night."

"Mount Yishan?"

"The mountain in Yixian County."

"Yixian County?" Zhang Yu frowned. "So far? How do you know us? Have we met before?"

"We haven't met before," the Third Shixiong said truthfully. "We met an old gentleman on the road, surnamed Zhang, taboo Yuande. We asked him for directions, and he told us to come here to borrow accommodation."

"Ah?"

When this person heard it, he was shocked.

After the panic, he was a bit angry.

"What are you saying?"

"No offense intended."

"You Daoist! My family has always been kind and charitable, and is a well-known kind person in the vicinity. If you came to borrow accommodation, and said it politely, even if my father died, I could vacate a room for you to stay for a night, but you are joking about my deceased father!"

Hearing this, his Xiao Xiao Shimei behind was already startled.

But he saw the Third Shixiong's expression was calm, and he still bowed and said:

"Not so, not so. We Daoists of Mount Yishan have true transmission and dare not lie. We did meet the procession of your father on the road, and obtained his guidance, so we came here to borrow accommodation."

He paused and said:

"Is your father a goat-bearded man, just reaching his chest? Is the procession four young students, holding golden gongs, four horses and servants riding horses, four children and four maids, and a carriage pulled by two horses?"

When this person heard it, he was shocked.

Not only was he shocked, but the people behind were also surprised.

Asking each other, it was completely consistent.

In surprise, they didn't dare to doubt, so they had to hurriedly treat them as distinguished guests and invite them into the house to entertain them well.

They hadn't left the scope of Huizhou yet, and it was still a house with white walls and blue tiles. There were many couplets on the pillars of the main hall, and the most conspicuous one was written:

To have good descendants, one must start from respecting ancestors and respecting the clan;

To glorify the family, one must read books and accumulate good deeds.

A table was placed beside the main hall, a lantern was hung obliquely, an oil lamp was on the table, several hot meat dishes, and a pot of self-brewed turbid wine, the three were burying their heads and eating.

A circle of people surrounded them.

It was already pouring rain outside.

Ta Guo is delicious, but after all, it is dry food. It was slightly better when it was hot, but it was greatly discounted when it was cold. No matter how good the dry food is, how can it compare to this hot wine and meat?

Whether it was the neighbors who came to help the Zhang family or the children and grandchildren of the Zhang family, hearing this, they were both surprised and novel, and all ran over to surround them.

"Where did the Daoists meet my father?"

"Not far in front."

"May I ask, may I ask how my father is?"

"Don't worry, your father is very well," the Third Shixiong said, wiping the oil from his mouth, and picked up the wine pot to drink. "Walking on the official road by himself, with all the funeral objects following, it is not a treatment that ordinary people can have. I think your father didn't do less good deeds during his lifetime, so he has such preferential treatment below."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Everyone was happy and busy wiping tears.

"What did my father say to the Daoists?"

"Your father was very kind..."

Lin Jue told them about his conversation with the old gentleman, the old gentleman's demeanor and tone, and the small details of his accent.

When everyone heard it, it was all consistent.

Then they didn't dare to disturb their meal, just called the women to make the bed for them, and called the younger generation to feed the donkey, and each went out to be busy.

The three soon ate their fill.

"Oh, saved another meal of Ta Guo," the Third Shixiong said with a smile. "See, if it weren't for following me, where would you encounter such things, where would you eat such a good meal, and you might be eating paste somewhere."

Under the oil lamp, the two looked at each other.

Although his Xiao Xiao Shimei didn't make a sound, she showed a strange look.

Lin Jue was also lost in thought.

The blowing and hitting sounds outside mixed with the sound of rain, constantly transmitted.

The next morning, he said goodbye to the Zhang family.

The eldest son of the old gentleman, Zhang Yu, inherited the kindness and hospitality of the old gentleman. He not only refused the accommodation money given by a group of people, but also specially packed some steamed cakes and gifted them to them.

"Eat on the road, eat on the road."

"Many thanks, benefactor!" The Third Senior Brother said, "By the way, may I ask how to get to Yuanzhou?"

"Yuanzhou?"

"Yes..."

"Although we have traveled further than the people in the same village, we have never been to Yuanzhou," Zhang Yu said thoughtfully. "But I have a cousin who used to go to Mount Niaoshu to run business. I heard him say it once. After arriving at Mount Niaoshu, taking the waterway is Yuanzhou, which is also the best way to go to Yuanzhou. Waterway is always better to walk than land."

"How to get to Mount Niaoshu?"

"On the main road, go to the right hand side, walk all the way, it will take a few days, and you have to ask for directions a few more times."

"Many thanks, many thanks."

The three had to enter the ancestral hall, stand in front of the old gentleman's coffin, respectfully offer three sticks of incense to him, and then leave, continue to set off, and go to Mount Mingzhou in Yuanzhou.

There were many strange things on the way, and there were also yaojing and ghosts.

A few days later, they asked about Mount Niaoshu.

They also looked for the waterway and went to find the pier. ===== CHAPTER 87 =====

They sought the waterway again, looking for a wharf.