Chapter 197: Xilin Taoist Su Huai
This is the largest bookseller in the entire Yunzhou, and he has never heard of this book.
Zhu Qingyan couldn't help but glance at Zhu Lan. How unpopular are the books this guy usually read?
"Then do you know if there are other booksellers in Yunzhou City?" Zhu Lan asked.
The shopkeeper laughed disdainfully, "Hey, even I haven't heard of it, let alone those idiots!
If you don't believe me, just walk down this road and ask each of the bookstores one by one. If you can find out, I will smash my own sign with my own hands!"
Zhu Lan was a little hesitant, but since this store didn't have it, they could only continue asking and give it a try.
She turned around and was about to leave with Zhu Qingyan when she suddenly heard the shopkeeper utter an "ah" and then rubbed his chin as if he remembered something.
"But if you really want to find some strange books, there may be someone... you can go ask."
"Who?"
"This man's surname is Su and his given name is Huai. He calls himself the Taoist of Xilin and lives in the north of the city. He has a library there. I heard that he specializes in collecting rare books in the world. Maybe you can try your luck there."
Zhu Lan seemed to see a glimmer of hope, "Thank you, shopkeeper, for telling me!" Then he asked where the Taoist Xilin lived.
The shopkeeper told them the address, "But don't be too happy too soon. Mr. Su is fond of Huang Lao's teachings and has a very strange personality. Many people come to him to ask for an audience, but few get to see him!
Anyway, you guys should give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then you will definitely not be able to find the book in Yunzhou City.”
Zhu Lan and the other man thanked the shopkeeper and followed the address he gave them. After walking for most of the day, they finally arrived at a Taoist temple in the north of the city.
"This Taoist Xilin... is he really a Taoist priest?"
Zhu Qingyan looked at the spider webs on the pillars of the Taoist temple's gate and frowned. This place looked a little too sloppy.
Suddenly, a corner of the eaves moved. Zhu Qingyan was startled and then he noticed that there was a person squatting on the eaves.
The man squatted on the eaves with his arms on his knees, his eyes staring straight ahead, like a sculpture.
Zhu Lan followed Zhu Qingyan's gaze and looked up, and also saw this person. She bowed and asked:
"Excuse me, is this the residence of Taoist Xilin?"
But the man seemed not to have heard it and did not move.
Zhu Lan raised his voice and asked again.
"Winter is long and summer is short, I cross the bridge with people. It is not wet by rain and not burnt by fire..." The figure on the eaves finally spoke, as if muttering to himself.
Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan looked at each other. This had no beginning or end and sounded like a riddle?
"Isn't it just a shadow?" Zhu Qingyan said. This is not difficult to guess.
After hearing this, the figure finally lowered his eyes and looked at them, "Yes, why do people have shadows?"
"...Why don't you ask why the watermelon has a shadow, and why the dog on the roadside has a shadow?" Zhu Qingyan was a little annoyed. He felt that the other party was weird and not like a normal person.
"That's a good question," the man said, and then seemed to start thinking seriously.
Zhu Qingyan didn't want to pay any more attention to him and walked forward to knock on the door of the Taoist temple, but Zhu Lan behind him did not move.
She looked at the man calmly and said, "All things in the world are born from yin and yang. Where there is yang, there must be yin. What's so strange about this?"
"No, no. Why is the world full of shadows at night? If yin and yang really exist, then where is the sun? Where did the sun go?"
Zhu Qingyan: "...This guy is mentally ill, why do you care about him?"
Zhu Lan suddenly felt a little admiration. People in Daliang believed that the sky was round and the earth was square, but this person was able to find the illogicality in it through the shadows.
"Is it possible that our earth is round and the sun has circled around the other side of the earth, so all we see at night are shadows?" Zhu Lan said, looking up.
Zhu Qingyan's expression became strange. What a mess! The guy above is going crazy, and Zhu Lan is going crazy too?
She looked down at the soles of her feet again. The ground was so flat that it couldn't be any flatter. How could it be round?
Isn't this pure nonsense?
"Haha, yes, yes, the earth is round, that makes sense!"
The man on the eaves suddenly shouted excitedly, danced and swung his hands, then let out a scream and fell down.
Zhu Qingyan: ...
I thought you were so capable when you climbed so high.
"Hahaha, the earth is round, the earth is round!" The man slowly struggled to sit up from the ground and continued to laugh.
"So, may I ask if Taoist Xilin is at home?" Zhu Lan walked up to him and asked.
The man raised his head, revealing a young face.
"What do you want from me?"
"You are Taoist Xilin, Mr. Su Huai?" Zhu Lan did not seem very surprised.
Zhu Qingyan came over, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "This guy is crazy and unreliable at first glance. Let's just forget it..."
Zhu Lan shook his head slightly and whispered: "Not necessarily, this person might have some real skills."
After that, she bowed respectfully and said, "I am Zhu Lan, and I have come to ask Mr. Su for a book."
Su Huai patted his butt and stood up. "You want to ask for a book, right? No problem, no problem. As long as you can help me solve a puzzle, don't even mention asking for a book. I'd even eat the book."
"Oh?" When Zhu Lan heard that there was something interesting, he quickly asked what the riddle was.
"Come with me." Su Huai carelessly pushed open the door of the Taoist temple in front of him and walked inside, followed by Zhu Lan and the others.
I didn’t expect that this temple looked shabby, but it actually had a whole new world inside.
Along the way, Zhu Qingyan was wondering, this person looked a little abnormal, what kind of puzzle would he come up with?
Riddle? Or poem?
You wouldn't ask them to write a policy paper on the spot, would you?
Finally, Su Huai brought the two of them to stop in front of two arched doors and pointed at the two doors.
“That’s the question.”
Zhu Qingyan looked at the two doorways curiously. There were no words or anything special on them. How could there be any titles?
Zhu Lan was also somewhat confused.
"This is the Liangyi Gate." Su Huai explained while looking at the two doors, with a puzzled expression on his face.
"This is the question my master left me before he died. He said that I could leave this Taoist temple only when I solved it."
"So what is the topic?" Zhu Qingyan asked anxiously.
Su Huai looked at the two doorways and said in confusion:
"Master said that I should go through the two gates at the same time by myself."
Then he looked at the two of them and said, "If you can think of a way, you can borrow any book. If you can't think of one, please go back."
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