Chapter 185: Taoist Qingyi
When Song Yuzhu woke up this time, her body was weaker than before, and the countdown in her mind was still on, exactly the same.
Song Yuzhu did not tell Zhao Xiao what she saw during the period of coma. The train finally arrived at Hangzhou Station at noon the next day.
Many people got off here, and the two met the mother and son again.
When the woman saw Song Yuzhu coming over excitedly with a package, she said, "My benefactor!"
Song Yuzhu smiled weakly: "Madam, we meet again."
"You saved my son that day, but I haven't thanked you yet. Here are the jujubes grown on our own trees. They are very good for replenishing blood. If you don't mind, you can have them!"
A bag of dates was not worth much money, but it was a token of her heart. Song Yuzhu then thanked the woman.
When I came out of Hangzhou Station, there were many horse-drawn carriages and simple flatbed ox-drawn carts parked outside the main gate. A group of drivers came up to me and asked, "Where are you going, brother?"
"Stay in the hotel or stop by for a meal?"
"Rent a car? Only 300 coins a day..."
Song Yuzhu felt that this scene looked familiar. It was clearly the scene of a taxi driver soliciting passengers at the entrance of a station in later generations.
Zhao Xiao stopped and asked: "Which car is yours?"
An old man with gray hair and brown shorts stepped forward and said, "The blue-topped carriage in the lead is mine."
"Three hundred coins a day?"
The driver nodded: "As long as it's within the city of Hangzhou, we can go anywhere."
"Lead the way."
"Okay!" The old driver smiled happily when he received the job, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
Zhao Xiao supported Song Yuzhu and followed behind. Yuzhu was too weak to walk a long way, so it would be more convenient to charter a car.
When they walked to the side of the carriage, they saw a child of about six or seven years old sitting on it. He was chubby and had a steamed bun in his hand. He was not shy when he saw people and invited them to get on the carriage with a smile.
"Huzi, go home."
"Hey!" The child climbed down from the carriage swiftly and ran away by himself.
"Father-in-law, is this child your grandson?" The two of them got into a carriage. The carriage didn't look big from the outside, but it had quite a lot of space when people were sitting inside. The inside was very clean and tidy, and was covered with reed mats.
The driver said: "Yes, it's my little grandson."
"Is it okay to let him go back alone? There are so many people coming and going on the street, don't let the child get lost."
The driver turned the cart around and said, "It's okay. My family lives in the alley across the street. That guy comes with me every day to watch the horses. There are many people soliciting passengers at the station. Last year, someone secretly fed poisoned bean cakes to the horses and oxen that pulled the carts, and many of them died."
Song Yuzhu sighed: "How wicked."
"That's right! Pullers basically rely on an animal to make a living. How can people survive if you poison the animal to death?"
Zhao Xiao asked: "The government doesn't care?"
"Well, we have to find the person who poisoned the horse, right? There are so many people at the station, it's a mess and hard to find, so the matter was never solved. Since then, when I've been pulling carts, this kid has helped me watch over the horses to prevent them from being harmed by others."
As they were talking, the carriage had already driven out of the train station. The driver asked, "Where are you two going, brothers?"
Zhao Xiao said: "Qingfeng Taoist Temple."
"That's not close. If you two want to burn incense, I recommend you go to Lingyin Temple. I heard that it's more spiritual."
Song Yuzhu said: "Let's go to Qingfeng Taoist Temple to look for someone."
"Oh, if you two haven't eaten, you'd better prepare some dry food and water, otherwise there will be no place to eat along the way."
"Please take us to buy some dry food, old man."
"Okay!" The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage started moving.
The driver was a talkative man and he never stopped talking during the whole journey, talking about the various places of interest in Hangzhou, and which places in the city had the most delicious pastries and which places had expensive and rip-off meals.
Song Yuzhu leaned on Zhao Xiao's shoulder and didn't feel bored as she listened along.
"Gui Xiang Fang is in front. The cakes sold here taste good. My tiger boy likes them very much. But the price is a little bit expensive. Ten cents can only buy a few pieces of chestnut cakes."
Song Yuzhu and Zhao Xiao got off the carriage, took a look around, and bought a box of pastries.
The driver then took the two of them to buy iced drinks, fine cakes and some snacks. Seeing that they were almost done, Zhao Xiao asked him to go directly to Qingfeng Temple.
The journey was indeed very long as the coachman said. Song Yuzhu saw on the map that it was more than thirty miles, and the carriage took most of the day.
It was dark when they arrived. The driver was anxious to go home, so Song Yuzhu paid him.
"Qingfeng Temple is at the top of the mountain. You two have to climb up by yourself. It's not safe on the mountain at night. It's better to rest at the post station at the foot of the mountain for one night and go again tomorrow morning."
"Okay, thank you, old man."
The coachman drove the carriage away. The two stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up. The height made Song Yuzhu nervous.
If he had climbed to the top of the mountain when he was in good health, he wouldn't have even blinked an eyelid, but now he was too weak and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to walk halfway.
Zhao Xiao saw his distress and said, "It's okay. I'll carry you up."
He had been waiting too impatiently all the way and couldn't wait to meet Taoist Qingyi. He didn't want to stay another night at the foot of the mountain, so he pulled Song Yuzhu up the mountain.
The narrow path winds its way upwards, and the bluestone steps are only wide enough for one person to pass.
Song Yuzhu walked in front and Zhao Xiao followed behind. After walking for an incense stick of time, he was so tired that he could not breathe.
Zhao Xiao said: "Let me carry you."
Song Yuzhu looked up at the top of the mountain and nodded. He was walking too slowly and might not reach the mountain before dark.
Zhao Xiao squatted down, Song Yuzhu hooked her hands around his neck, and as soon as her body became lighter, she was carried on his back.
“Is it heavy?”
Zhao Xiao shook his head twice: "It's not as heavy as my sword."
Song Yuzhu recalled that on the train, Brother Yang said that he was holding a 80-jin long sword, and couldn't help laughing.
Zhao Xiao's shoulders were broad and strong. Song Yuzhu felt particularly safe as she lay on them and listened to his breathing.
After walking for an hour, we finally reached the top of the mountain. By this time, the sun had already set, and only a gray black remained between the sky and the earth.
The two walked to the entrance of the gym. The door was ajar and there was no light inside.
"I don't know if Taoist Qingyi is here. Why do we come here so rashly..." Before Song Yuzhu finished her words, she heard a burst of scolding coming from the Taoist temple.
"You evil beast, you stole my things again, I'm going to beat you to death!" A big black dog suddenly jumped out from inside and pounced on the two of them.
Song Yuzhu was startled, and Zhao Xiao quickly blocked him behind him.
"Beast, come back!" A roar came from the yard, and the big dog whimpered, then ran back with its tail between its legs.
The two men pushed open the door and walked in, and saw two dark shadows in the yard, one was the big black dog from before, and the other was a hunchbacked old man.
"Excuse me, are you Taoist Qingyi?" Song Yuzhu asked tentatively.
"What do you want from me?" The old man turned around and looked at the two of them.
"I...we were instructed by Taoist Chang Ming to come and ask you for help."
The old Taoist snorted coldly: "What kind of advice can he give? He hasn't even learned it himself yet and he's giving advice to others."
Song Yuzhu and Zhao Xiao looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never expected that Taoist Qingyi would be such a person. He was totally different from the immortal they had imagined...
The old man walked into the temple with his hands behind his back, and Song Yuzhu and Zhao Xiao hurriedly followed.
There are three large halls here, enshrining the Three Pure Ones of Taoism. Taoist Taoist Master Qingyi took out a candle from a corner and lit it.
Song Yuzhu then saw his appearance clearly. The old man was thin, with long white eyebrows and beard that hung down, quite like the old immortals in old TV dramas.
He was wearing a gray Taoist robe with many patches on it. He looked energetic and in good health.
"Let's go to the backyard." The old Taoist walked in front holding the candlestick, and Song Yuzhu and Zhao Xiao followed behind him.
Because the temple was not popular, it looked very old, and the oil paint on the sculptures was mottled and dim under the candlelight. In addition, the temperature on the top of the mountain was relatively low, and the wind blew over, making my back feel cold, which made the temple feel a bit more eerie.
Passing through the main hall and arriving at the middle hall, there is a row of small houses on the side. This is where Taoist Qingyi lives.
From beginning to end, the old Taoist never asked the two people's names or why they came here to solve a problem.
After entering the house, the big black dog followed in. The old Taoist raised his leg and kicked it: "Go out and play."
The big black dog walked out reluctantly.
The old Taoist priest washed his hands first and said, "My humble abode is simple, please feel free to sit down, my two honorable people."
Song Yuzhu brought two low stools and pulled Zhao Xiao to sit down.
Qingyi sat across from the two of them, looking at Zhao Xiao with burning eyes. "Your karma of killing is too heavy. Do more good deeds in the future, and you will have a good ending."
Song Yuzhu looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect that this old Taoist was so powerful and could tell Zhao Xiao's identity at a glance.
Zhao Xiao said nonchalantly: "You don't have to look at me, just help look at him."
Qingyi turned his gaze to Song Yuzhu, frowned slightly, and after a while he stroked his beard and shook his head: "Your Excellency is a person from the secular world, I can't see it."
This time Song Yuzhu was even more surprised. He could actually tell that she was not from this world!
Zhao Xiao said anxiously: "Chang Ming said you can interpret the hexagrams, please help us interpret one!"
Qingyi did not interpret the divination for Song Yuzhu directly, but stretched out his hand to feel his pulse.
Song Yuzhu stretched out his hand, and the old Taoist priest probed and then withdrew his hand.
"All five organs are healthy, but the pulse is as weak as an old man. This is a symptom of both natural and physical decline. You have at most one year left to live."
Song Yuzhu remained calm and asked, "Master, do you have any way to treat it?"
Qingyi shook his head, "I don't have that much ability, but your illness does have a glimmer of hope."
Zhao Xiao stood up excitedly: "What method?!"
Song Yuzhu's heartbeat also quickened. Could he really have a way to stop his body from deteriorating?
Taoist Master Qingyi: "I have never used this method, but I have heard Master mention it. I don't know whether it is useful or not."
"This method is called the Soul Stabilization Technique. If you stabilize your soul, perhaps your body will not decay so quickly."
Zhao Xiao said: "Then please, Taoist priest, perform it quickly!"
"Don't worry, I have to prepare a few days in advance."
Zhao Xiao happily held Song Yuzhu's hand and said, "Yuzhu, I knew there must be a way!"
Song Yuzhu smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. It was not that he did not believe Taoist Qingyi, but this matter did not seem to be something that could be solved by metaphysics.
The system's countdown showed two hundred and thirty-one days, three hours, and forty-five minutes, weighing heavily on my mind like a time bomb.
It was just that he had a little hope, and he didn't want Zhao Xiao to be disappointed again.
"Excuse me, Taoist priest, can we rest on the mountain for a few days?"
"You can live here as you like, but you have to clean the house yourself. I won't help you." Qingyi said and chased the two people out.
(End of this chapter)
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