After bidding farewell to the capital, Qi Wuhuo took the child around, visiting mountain gods, looking for local gods, moving from south to north, and seeing many sceneries along the way. The child asked him who the second person they were going to visit was, Qi Wuhuo did not answer directly, but just took him forward step by step.
The first step was to leave the previous city, and the second step was thousands of miles away. White snow was falling from the sky again, fluttering down. The child stretched out his hand and caught the snowflakes falling from the sky. His eyes were wide open with a bright light in his eyes. He looked up and saw that this area was full of towering mountains. The mountains were steep and sharp, like spears and swords, which made people subconsciously feel a chill.
The child widened his eyes and asked in confusion: "Where is this..."
"This is where an old friend of mine lives in seclusion."
The black-robed emperor pulled him through the jagged rocks and land, and said, "He is an old friend of mine. He was very talented at a young age, but he was lonely all his life. His father and brothers all stood in his way, but in the end, he still walked to his own end step by step."
"He is the undisputed leader of the military strategists."
"A famous general in the world, the mighty king of the human race."
The child's eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "I know!"
"When I went there to eat delicious food before, there were people telling stories. How the mighty King and his 18 riders defeated the enemy city, how the King Wu destroyed Buddhism, and how the mighty King Jingnan purged the emperor's side!" He was full of curiosity about things he had never experienced before, and he told them all in one breath, his eyes shining.
It seems that no child can ignore these heroic stories and legends.
Qi Wuhuo smiled slightly. He did not tell the child about the bitterness and sacrifices behind the countless heroic legends. He just stroked his hair and said softly, "Go, go meet him."
So the child went to visit the mighty King Li Zhai.
But I was a little disappointed.
The legendary hero who was dressed in armor and full of high spirits now has a head full of white hair. Moreover, because he is practicing the complex and cruel power of humanity back then, wrinkles appear on his face and his body is no longer as strong as before. He seems to have become an ordinary old man.
"Oh? Did your teacher ask you to come see me?"
Li Zhai asked him with a smile.
The young boy bowed respectfully and said in a clear voice, "I am not your disciple."
"It's just that Senior did ask me to ask you."
Li Zhai burst out laughing and said, "Is he also so stubborn?"
The old man with white hair and a waist that seemed to bend a little, unlike the mighty king who was straight as a spear in the past, sat on the stone and casually placed the fishing rod he had just used for fishing beside him. Then he stretched out his hand, patted the stone next to him that was still covered with a layer of white frost, asked the child to sit down, and asked casually:
"Tell me, what do you want to ask me?"
The child's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously leaned forward and said, "I want to hear your stories! Tell me about the great victory of the demon tribe and the story of sweeping across the countries!"
Li Zhai was speechless, then smiled and said, "Do you want to hear these stories? However, my stories may disappoint you."
The child was puzzled and asked, "Why?"
Li Zhai said softly: "Because the real me is not like the stories that are sung outside, fearless and invincible. I am also afraid..." He told his own story, about his former comrades who died in front of him just a few days later, and about driving his mount to charge forward, and how the military strategist's luck formation connected everyone together, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
More real, more simple, there is no anticipation of the enemy, no certainty of victory.
It was like gambling, every battle was a gamble of life, with fear and determination to rush forward, shouting to the sky after victory, expressing the joy of victory and also expressing the suppressed fear and terror in the heart. The child was stunned and dazed after listening to it. The real heroic story is not so elegant. It is a story with the smell of blood and blades, with sparks from the collision of swords, it is a story of iron and fire.
He was stunned and asked, "If you are afraid, why do you still want to move forward?"
Li Zhai burst into laughter and said, "What a child."
The hand that was used to holding weapons and killing rubbed the child's head and said, "It is precisely because of fear that we have to do these things. We are all afraid, so aren't the people more afraid? Holding weapons, paving the way for the unarmed people behind us, and defending our country is what a military strategist does."
The child murmured, "What the military does..."
Li Zhai rubbed the child's hair, with a gentle look on his old face, and said:
“Before you decide to do something, you must know why you are doing it.”
"Why we fight is more important than the fighting itself."
"Why are we fighting..."
"right."
Li Zhai squatted down, his old but not cloudy eyes with a gentle smile, looking at the child level, he stretched out his finger to point at his heart, and said: "The answer to this question can only be obtained by yourself."
"But now..."
Li Zhai raised his head, looked into the distance, and laughed loudly, saying, "Qi Wuhuo, I have already answered your apprentice's question. Since you are here, come and drink a few jars of strong liquor with me, and don't think about running away like this!"
The black-robed Taoist said gently, "Of course it is so."
A fire was lit on the open space in the middle of the rocks, which stood upright like swords and spears, pointing to the sky. The prey was simply processed and roasted on the campfire.
They drank from jar after jar.
The sound of the collision is crisp.
They talked about the past, about their disguise in the Zhongzhou Mingzhen Taoist Alliance, about their past sharp edges, and about the day when they hid their identities there and pretended to be a Taoist priest to answer their questions. The white-haired general pointed at the black-robed emperor opposite and laughed.
They talked about the past, they drank jar after jar of wine, and they seemed not to get drunk.
The white-haired leader of the military strategists lowered his eyes, held the wine jar in one hand, and clinked the wine jar with the emperor in front of him, muttering: "I salute you, Tai Shang Xuanwei, who dares to enter the demon clan alone with a sword."
The black-robed emperor raised his head and drank, saying, "Cheers to you, the military strategist Li Zhai, who carries men and wears armor, and points his gun at the emperor."
"Respect your Master, open the Nine Tablets and teach the Ten Thousand Dharmas."
"Respect the mighty king, pacify the nine states and make the world one country."
They drank jar after jar of wine, and their words were understated yet magnificent.
The child over there was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Finally, the military leader seemed to be drunk. He sat there with blurry eyes, leaning against the bluestone, drinking from his neck, and said, "Good wine, so drunk..."
"In the last days, I can still get drunk with you. I am satisfied with that."
"After we say goodbye today, perhaps we will never see each other again."
The child looked up and saw the Taoist in black robe had a calm expression, as if he understood everything.
I couldn't help but ask: "Mighty King, can't you live forever?"
The white-haired general pointed at him and couldn't help laughing. He said, "You are really just a child. Didn't I just say that the reason for doing these things is more valuable than the things themselves!"
He staggered to his feet, picked up the wine pot, and spread his arms. When he was drunk, he staggered, raised the wine pot and pointed at the sky. Suddenly, he was full of heroic spirit and said, "In my life!"
"Rebellion, attacking the country, killing people, slaying demons, slaughtering immortals, and destroying Buddhism!"
"Sweeping the world..."
"Unify all nations!"
In just three short sentences, a heroic spirit was already rising to the sky. The white-haired, wrinkled old man's eyes were as blazing as fire, showing an arrogance that was enough to be engraved in the young boy's mind for life. He raised his bottle of wine again and said:
"My father died because of me, and my brother committed suicide because of me."
"The ancestral temples in all directions are destroyed because of me."
"A general's success is built on the sacrifice of thousands of men. I have fought in many places, and many of my comrades have died before me. They fought with me. How could I abandon them, abandon that era, and walk the so-called path to immortality alone? This is not right, this is not right. I led them to the battlefield, and I said they should go first, and the brothers will follow later."
The famous white-haired general looked at the child and said, "My era is in the past. I belong to that era."
"I personally started that chaotic world, and my death should be the final end of it."
"The grudges of a lifetime are over. It is enough for Li Zhai to live only in this life."
"It's satisfying enough, it's exhilarating enough, it's exciting enough!"
The white-haired Li Zhai picked up the wine, with a drunken look on his face and a free and easy smile.
The Taoist in black robe was holding a jar of wine with a gentle expression.
One last touch, tilt your head back, and drink it all.
Turn around and leave, never look back.
"Goodbye!"
The child was stunned and seemed shocked. He turned around and saw the man with white hair, bent back and sharp brows. He was even more heroic than the invincible and mighty king in the story. He was a true hero who truly charged towards this fate and era.
He may never forget this mighty king.
After the New Year, spring is approaching, the spring breeze blows, the willow branches and leaves sway, and the originally frozen rivers in the north gradually melt, returning to their original appearance. The ice and frost on the river surface shattered, and then flowed towards the distance as the river flowed, ups and downs, and when it collided, the sound of broken ice was delicate and beautiful.
Then summer came, the time when flowers bloomed and everything grew luxuriantly.
Summer is over, the weather is getting cooler, the autumn wind is blowing, and all things are withering.
During this journey, Qi Wuhuo took the child to many places. They went to the Kingdom of All Spirits and met the beautiful Lord of All Spirits. They went to the shore of the East China Sea and met the ancient blue dragon in the Dragon Palace under the sea. They even waded through the Yellow Springs and went to the underworld in their dream.
On this day, the black-robed emperor took him to the capital city of Zhongzhou, walked through the streets and alleys, pointed at the Lianyang Temple and talked about the past, pointed at the streets, and talked about what the streets were like thousands of years ago. He said that there used to be a medicine shed here, and there used to be a stall owner with a broken arm over there, who sold delicious sesame cakes.
It is said that starting from the direction of the city wall for several thousand five hundred steps all the way to the bridge, all places are open for stalls to be set up. Every night when there is no curfew, the places are always brightly lit and full of the breath of life.
Every day at the fifth watch, the monks of the temples would ring iron signs or wooden fishes at the gates to announce the dawn, and the markets at the gates would open. At that time, the restaurants would light candles and sell food, each serving costing only 20 wen, and they would also serve porridge, rice and snacks.
Occasionally, there are people selling facial cleansing water, boiled soups, teas or medicines until dawn.
The child became greedy after listening to what he heard, so he went to buy sesame cakes, candied haws and other things. When he came back, he saw the emperor in black robe looking up and walking across the bridge which was more than a thousand years old. On the other side of the bridge, there was an old tree with huge branches. Under the tree, there was a stone chessboard with clear traces from a thousand years ago.
A young man was sitting there, seemingly waiting for something, holding a chess piece in his hand. Suddenly, he felt a shadow in front of him. He looked up with joy, but saw that the person who came was not the one he was waiting for, but a man in a black robe with a very good demeanor. The joy on the young man's face disappeared, and he felt a little regretful again, but he did not act rudely.
The black-robed emperor said, "This chess game seems to have a long history."
The young man was not rude when he was waiting for others, and smiled and said, "Yes, it is said that it has existed for a thousand years. It is the beginning of the chess fortune in Zhongzhou City. Therefore, there are many people playing chess in this city."
Qi Wuhuo saw what looked like a wound on his forehead.
The young man also noticed the gaze of the person in front of him, touched his forehead, and smiled a little embarrassedly: "Sir, you saw it, haha, this is not a scar left by fighting with others, this is a birthmark, I was born with it."
"The fortune teller said that I offended the heavens in my previous life and got burned on my forehead by heavenly fire, which left me with this birthmark that can never be erased."
"However, it was raining heavily at noon when I was born."
"My mother always said that this was a change of bad luck, and all the past should be written off."
The young man smiled and said, "Sir, if you are also waiting for someone, why not play a game of chess?"
The black-robed emperor nodded gently and agreed happily. He glanced at the chessboard and said, "Then, I will take the first move..." He held the chess piece and gently dropped it on the chessboard. There was a crisp sound. The young man recognized the trend and was a little surprised. He smiled and said,
"This is a famous piece from ancient times, but it has some variations. I just happened to have studied it before."
The willow tree swayed, and its branches cast shadows on the chessboard. The black-robed emperor and the young man with a birthmark on his forehead played chess. One piece after another fell on the board with a crisp sound, as if because these were fragments of the past after all, and the young man had really done a lot of research, he won in the end. When he made the last move, a woman in white clothes walked over on the path with an umbrella.
The clothes she was wearing were those of a chess servant of an official in this city. She had a pretty face and a quiet temperament.
Holding an umbrella in one hand to block the sun, and holding a scroll of chess manual in the other, he walked over. The young man who was playing chess with Qi Wuhuo stood up, with joy in his eyes. The Taoist in black robe raised his finger, looked at the remaining chess game, and said gently: "Yes, sir, you won."
The young man was immersed in the encounter with his beloved chess maid, but he subconsciously said:
"My last name is Long, so I am not worthy of the title of Mr."
But when he looked up again, the man in black robe who was playing chess under the tree was no longer there. He couldn't help but suppress his emotion and was slightly stunned. In a trance, it seemed as if he had been here before, playing chess with the man in black robe, but when was that?
But I don't remember it anymore.
He no longer obsessed over the matter, but just happily talked about what happened afterwards with his sweetheart.
Under the autumn sun, Qi Wuhuo walked slowly with the child. When they reached the city wall, it was an autumn afternoon. The sun was warm and lazy, making all living things lazy, including the stone statues on both sides of the city gate. Chaofeng and Jiaotu were basking in the sun lazily just like they did thousands of years ago, but suddenly they saw the man in black and were stunned.
Chao Feng's tone became stammering, and he said, "Qi Qi Qi, Qi Wuhuo?!!"
Jiaotu's eyes widened: "Huh?! Qi Wuhuo?! Little Taoist priest!"
They became happy. Qi Wuhuo took the child up to the city wall. Chaofeng greeted him happily and said, "You are here!"
"Yes, here I come."
Qi Wuhuo sat between the statues of Chaofeng and Jiaotu. The young boy tried his best to step down, and finally made sure that he would not step on the tiles which were at a slight angle. He slid down and finally felt at ease and sat here.
Jiaotu said happily: "Little Taoist priest, it's time for you to accept a little Taoist priest!"
Instead, the child felt embarrassed, but even though he felt embarrassed, he still said seriously:
"No, no, no."
"I am not your disciple."
"Eh? Don't you want to?"
Jiaotu's words directly hit the target of the young boy.
Chao Feng asked, "What have you been doing for so many years?"
The Taoist in black robe sat here quietly and said, "I am busy with some boring but necessary things."
Chao Feng thought for a moment and asked, "Really?"
"You also have a lot of troubles like this."
Qi Wuhuo laughed and said, "Yes."
Chaofeng said generously: "Then you stay here and watch the sky and wind with us. I will share them with you!"
The black-robed emperor sat here, quietly watching the wind and clouds, just like when he was a teenager, and chatted leisurely about these random things. Chaofeng and Jiaotu talked about what had happened in Zhongzhou City over the years, about how so-and-so's children had become successful, about their innocent childhoods, about how they had grown up, about how they had separated, and finally came back to each other.
The sun was warm and lazy, but it gradually sank to the west and clouds appeared.
Chaofeng suddenly laughed out loud: "Hahahaha, little Taoist priest, and there's a little Taoist priest of a little Taoist priest."
"You guys are so lucky!"
"Qi Wuhuo, do you remember? Remember I told you before."
"The scenery is different every day. Sometimes when the sun's light is blocked, the clouds turn into colorful sunsets. The light of the setting sun shines through the gaps in the clouds, like layers of light beams falling on the road. I remember saying at that time that if such a sunset appeared, I would definitely call you to come."
"There have been many times over the years, five, six, seven, eight, many, many times, but you weren't there!"
"Today there is wind, clouds, and beautiful light. It's great that you are here too!"
Qi Wuhuo looked at the glow in the sky, feeling the wind blowing, his black hair at the temples flying back, and said gently:
"Uh...yeah."
He said, "That's great."
The little boy over there was already excited and said, "It's really beautiful!"
The evening glow was bright and gentle, and it faded away after a long time. Qi Wuhuo took the child and left. As they left, Chaofeng and Jiaotu shouted, "Qi Wuhuo, Qi Wuhuo!"
The black-robed emperor stopped and looked sideways at the two of them with a gentle expression.
Jiaotu Chaofeng asked loudly, "Have you become a god?!"
They still blessed loudly as they did back then: "Qi Wuhuo, Qi Wuhuo!"
"You must practice hard and become a god!"
The black-robed emperor waved at them, agreed with a smile, and walked away with their blessings. He walked through the clear night of stars, through the mountains and rivers. When the leaves withered and snow fell on the mountains, he took the child into the town. The small courtyard in the past seemed to be the same as it was a thousand years ago.
The iron chain of the house was locked, he stretched out his hand and opened the chain. In the yard, the winter plum tree of that year was the same as before, but it was in full bloom today, just like that year. Under the plum tree, the black-robed emperor stretched out his hand, and when the wind blew, the plum tree swayed slightly, and a petal fell into his palm.
Qi Wuhuo smiled slightly, picked up the petals, turned around, looked at the young boy, and said:
"Let's go."
The young boy nodded, thinking that he was going to meet someone again. He followed Qi Wuhuo out of the town and followed the path to the mountain road. After all, Tao Taigong did not have the talent for cultivation. He took the elixir and immortal wine to extend his life by 500 years, but he had reincarnated 500 years ago. It seemed that there were not many old friends in this place.
The trees have gone through countless generations, and the descendants of the original little deer spirit are no longer there.
Only the bluestone from that year is still there, the sunset is always red, and many gods of the earth and mountains are preaching on this bluestone, enlightening the lives of the people. As a result, there are many strange beasts walking around in this mountain, making it more prosperous than before. And because this is the Taoist temple of Qi Wuhuo, no demons or gods come here, so it is a rare and peaceful place.
The child followed the black-robed emperor slowly along the way, and after several turns, he saw a Taoist temple deep in the forest.
What a good Taoist temple! Wherever it is, the scenery is gorgeous, the mist and clouds are colorful, and the sun and moon are shining.
Thousands of old cypresses, thousands of bamboos. Thousands of old cypresses, green and swaying in the rain; thousands of bamboos, shrouded in smoke, a valley of gloomy colors. cranes, and often see phoenixes flying.
When the immortal cranes cry, their voices echo far into the sky; when the phoenix takes flight, its feathers shine like clouds of five-colored lights.
The black ape and the white deer appear and disappear at will; the golden lion and the jade elephant move and hide at will.
The child had never seen such a peaceful and blessed place before. He was so fascinated that he looked here and there, as if he could never see enough. He asked, "Senior, where is this place?!"
Qi Wuhuo stretched out his hand, pointed at his heart, and replied, just like Fuziqiu and Li Zhai:
"It's a place for practicing Taoism."
"It is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Xieyue Sanxing Cave."
The child was still unable to comprehend the truth, so the black-robed emperor smiled and pushed open the door of the Taoist temple. Inside, a large cauldron was burning with smoke, and it was quiet and natural. He turned around and looked at the young man who was looking around and his eyes were dazzled. He paused and said gently:
"Are you willing to be my disciple?"
The child was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted.
He straightened his clothes, knelt before the Taoist priest and kowtowed three times according to the most solemn etiquette in the world.
Qi Wuhuo folded his hands in front of him and watched him salute with a calm expression.
The Bodhi fruit matured in a year, traveling through spring, summer, autumn and winter, all over the world, and the Taoist Qingwei Dajun accepted a disciple.
He stretched out his hand and gently pressed it on the boy's head.
There is a White Jade Palace in the sky, with twelve towers and five cities.
The immortal stroked my head and gave me eternal life.
With a gentle voice, he said:
"Teacher Qi has no doubts, this place is a mountain."
"You are my first disciple, and perhaps my only disciple."
"Because you follow me, I give you a title——"
Qi Wuhuo paused.
Green smoke curled up, and the bells and drums in the Taoist temple happened to ring. The mist and haze surged, and the auspicious colors flowed, as if surrounding this name.
"Bodhi."
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