Chapter 39: Three People Travel, Five People Also Travel (Part 1)

  Mushan Taoist Temple, few people know what year it was built, and even fewer people know who the builder is. Even the people of Xiangcheng not far from Mushan don't know when they started to know that there is a Taoist temple on top of Mushan. Some say it's eight years ago, some say it's ten years ago, and others say that there has always been such a house in the mountains, left over from an unknown dynasty, and it's not new at all.

  But since a group of Taoists appeared on Mt. Mu, the number of people coming to play has increased. The Taoist priests' cultivation methods are unknown, but their business skills are top-notch. White rice is twenty cents a bowl, meat dishes fifty cents, vegetarian dishes thirty cents, and there's only one type of wine, five hundred cents a pot, with clear prices and no cheating of the young or old.

  The wealthy and prosperous, a dou of glutinous rice is not worth much money. The white rice at the Taoist temple on the mountain, no matter how clean and delicious it is, is absolutely not worth twenty cents, fifty cents can even buy a large piece of pork, and I don't know how many meat dishes can be made. But the Taoists in the temple also said clearly that these meats, eggs, and vegetables were all transported from Xiangcheng, and had to be carried halfway up the mountain, so the labor and materials used are not small, so selling at this price is reasonable.

  Most of the people who live in the Taoist temple are the families of high-ranking officials, either young masters or young ladies and wives, so they naturally wouldn't care about small matters like tens or hundreds of coins. Moreover, this is the only business on the mountain that opens its doors to make a living, there's no other branch, it's hard for the Taoists not to get rich.

  The name Taoist temple is quite fitting.

  Mushan Temple

  There are thirty-six Taoist priests in Muyang Guanli, seventy-two minor Taoist priests, and eleven miscellaneous workers. The scale is not large, but the order is well-regulated.

  The old Taoist with a goatee, who looked quite ethereal and otherworldly, was known as Chū Chén Zǐ, the master of Mù Shān Guàn. However, outsiders rarely knew that the true master of Mù Shān Guàn was not Chū Chén Zǐ, but rather a reclusive figure who seldom showed his face. Even the Taoist disciples and servants within the temple rarely caught a glimpse of this enigmatic personage. Of course, Chū Chén Zǐ's thirty-six disciples were well aware of what kind of person this recluse was.

  His name is Xiang Qing Niu.

  He is busy every day.

  He has an astonishing mysterious origin.

  He has a deep connection with Xiao Zhenren, who is in the same vein as Qing Leishan. He also has an unusual relationship with a certain big shot in the imperial palace of the capital. It's said that he has another extremely mysterious and noble identity, which is even more terrifying, his senior brother who went missing ten years ago after wandering around. In Xiang Qingniu's own words, his senior brother doesn't know where he is now, being bewitched by a demon while subduing demons in some mountain, and is now doing the job of Press Gang Chief in some cave.

  Xiang Qing Niu is his name, not his Taoist name.

  Even Chu Chenzi didn't know whether this young fat guy, who was his own master's junior, had a Taoist name or not. In fact, if he hadn't seen with his own eyes how Xiang Qing had plucked out one of Qingyue Mountain's One Qi Pavilion's Xiao Zhenren's whiskers, he really wouldn't have dared to believe that this guy, who apart from being greedy for food and wealth didn't have any other good points, was actually a Taoist. And what's more, he was the kind of... awesome person in the Taoist world.

  Xiao Zhenren is the leader of Taoism, and Qingle Mountain Yiqiguan is a sacred place for Taoism. Although Wudang Mountain Sanqingguan has become more famous in recent years, it still can't compare to Yiqiguan where Xiao Zhenren resides. As Xiang Qingniu would say, "Taoist one-yi transforms into three-qing", Qingle Mountain is a one-yi temple, while Wudang Mountain is a three-qing temple, so one one-yi temple surpasses three three-qing temples. Who knows if this explanation will provoke the Taoist ancestors to strike down this fat guy with lightning?

  Xiang Qing Niu is very busy, every day is very busy.

  But he had two simple things to attend to, aside from sleeping.

  If eating is really too full, count the money. If counting the money is really too tiring, eat something. Every time Chu Chen arrived at Xiang Qing Niu's small courtyard, as long as this young master was not sleeping, he would necessarily be eating. If he wasn't eating, then he would necessarily be counting money.

  Xiang Qing Niu once said that those who are greedy for wealth but do not know how much they have will eventually lose all their wealth.

  Xiang Qing Niu looked like he was only fifteen years old, white and chubby, but in fact he was already nineteen years old. It was nine years ago that his second senior brother left him. If he took off the Taoist robe and put on ordinary clothes, who would have thought that he had a very noble status in the Da Sui Tao Gate? Chu Chenzi still remembered that year at Qingyue Mountain, when Xiao Zhenren humbly asked Xiang Qing Niu to give him a Taoist name, Xiang Qing Niu almost pulled out all of Xiao Zhenren's beard.

  "I'll just follow Second Master's surname Xiang! And I'll be called Xiang Qing Niu, so as soon as you hear my name, you'll know I'm his brother!"

  "He is my junior fellow disciple."

  Xiao Zhenren corrects.

  "Isn't Shidi your younger brother?"

  Xiang Qing Niu grabbed another handful of Xiao Zhenren's beard and asked fiercely.

  "It's natural, it's natural... Of course, a younger brother is also a brother, who says I'm in a hurry with anyone!"

  Xiao Zhenren was pinched to the point of pain, and after Xie Qian let go, he couldn't help but sigh: "From a young age, you had a good relationship with your second senior brother, how could he bear to abandon you like this!"

  Chu Chenzi still clearly remembers this conversation from back then and has deeply etched in his mind that he would rather offend his master than offend his junior master. Ten years ago, he followed his master's orders to travel the world and recruit disciples, ultimately choosing Moshan. Four years ago, his junior master arrived at Moshan Guan, since then he had been living a life without day or night.

  It is said that after he came down from Qingyue Mountain, his nine-year-old Shishu left without saying goodbye. From then on, there was no news of him, and it's unknown why he suddenly appeared at Dusky Mountain six years later. At that time, the Dust Son didn't dare to delay, and hastily sent someone to send a message to Qingyue Mountain. Xiao Zhenren sent several batches of people to invite Xiang Qingniu back, but he insisted on staying here and refused to leave.

  Later, Xiao Zhenren brought a message: "It's okay if you don't return to Qingyue Mountain, but you're not allowed to run away again."

  "Go back and tell Old Man Xiao that six years ago, I was penniless and searched all over the Great Sui but couldn't find Second Brother. He must have gone to a distant land. In the Great Sui, cultivators can travel without money, but outside of it, disciples like us are not as welcome as those bald donkeys who eat well. Without money, it's impossible to go anywhere. Once I've saved up enough silver, I'll set out and leave the Great Sui behind. When I find Second Brother, I won't be going anywhere else."

  Xiao Zhenren sighed gloomily after hearing this reply and said "fool".

  Perhaps this can also be used as an item for Qingniu's Taoist name.

  ……

  ……

  When Xiang Qing Niu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and turned over to continue sleeping, but the sound of people reciting the Tao Te Ching in the front yard was too loud, making him feel annoyed. The Tao Te Ching, the Primordial Chaos Classic, these three books were the required reading for all Taoist disciples, except Xiang Qing Niu, of course.

  As he listened to the chanting in front of him, he became angry and suddenly sat up from bed, put on his shoes, grabbed the copper basin for washing his face, and walked out of the room with a bare back, revealing a white and fat body. He strode quickly to the back door of the front yard and then threw the copper basin at Yichunzi who was sitting in the first seat.

  A loud and clear crash.

  After this crisp sound, the reading voice in the house stopped suddenly. When I looked again, Chuchenzi had already flown to the back of the Taozu stone statue and hid at some unknown time.

  The master of Muyan Pavilion cautiously poked his head out from behind the stone statue and asked, "Shifu, what instructions do you have?"

  Xiang Qing Niu said a sentence and then turned around to leave, Chuchen Zi waited until Xiang Qing Niu's figure disappeared before emerging from behind the stone statue. After adjusting his clothes, he looked serious and said: "Reciting the Tao Te Ching is to let you understand the natural law of the Tao left by the ancestors... this is about sincerity in your heart, not loud voices... You hear the spring breeze without sound, but it's natural; the spring grass is also silent, yet it's natural. Therefore..."

  "Master, we know!"

  All the disciples said in unison and then began to recite silently in their hearts.

  Chu Chenzi nodded in satisfaction and thought to himself, "Indeed, they are all moldable materials."

  Xiang Qing Niu returned to his own courtyard and crawled back into bed, continuing to sleep. As he got into bed, he accidentally knocked over a copper coin, which he immediately picked up, blew on it, and put away. On one side of his wooden bed, there was a pile of countless copper coins, silver ingots, and silver notes, the exact amount unknown.

  Of course, he knows himself.

  Looking at the pile of money, Xiang Qing Niu muttered to himself: "Old Xiao said that without a thousand gold, one cannot travel the world. I don't know when I can accumulate a thousand gold. I'll only wait here for five years, if in five years I still can't gather a thousand gold, I'll also leave. When Second Master left, he shouldn't have brought much silver either, how far he can go, I naturally can also go that far."

  After saying this sentence, he shook his head again: "I'm definitely not as far away as Second Master."

  After finishing the sentence, he felt hungry and would definitely not be able to sleep. So he got up again with a bare back and shook off his fat body, wolfing down the leftover meat and snacks on the table from last night until they were all gone. Satisfied, he patted his belly, and his fat body rippled like water waves.

  After eating one's fill, of course, one must sleep; counting money is hard work and should be done after resting.

  Before long, snoring sounds like thunder.

  After a while, Chuchenzi carefully appeared at his door, half of his body hidden behind the door, and said in a low voice: "Shifu, are you still sleeping?"

  The blue cow turned over and continued sleeping.

  "There's someone from the capital city here, waiting up ahead. Do you want to meet them?"

  "Is it Old Xiao who brought you again? Get out!"

  "This time it's not... It's a eunuch from the imperial palace, carrying an imperial edict. Although it's still an invitation for you to participate in this year's martial arts academy exam, but this time it's not as an observer, but as a proctor."

  "Has the Emperor sent someone?"

  Xiang Qing Niu Meng sat up abruptly, rubbed his eyes and said: "The emperor's envoy? That should still go... Old Xiao's words can't be listened to, the emperor's words can't be ignored."

  Chu Chenzi let out a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease. He had always thought that Xiang Qingniu was someone who didn't fear heaven or earth, but now it seemed fortunate that he still had the most basic respect for the emperor.

  "Second Brother said before that the words of Emperor Yang of Sui must be obeyed, while the emperors of other countries can just fart. Since it's Second Brother who said it, it must make sense, so I'll go this time. As for being an examiner at the Martial Arts Institute...I suppose they'll take care of my meals?"

  Xiang Qing picked up his clothes and walked out, saying as he went: "I'm going to the capital now. Musan, you'd better take good care of things here. Everything can be lacking, but if the monthly income is short when I come back, I'll have no mercy on you... Also, I know exactly how much money there is in my house. If I find out that even a single copper coin is missing when I get back, I'll pluck out your whiskers and hang you from the beam of the front courtyard to beat."

  "Master Shu, don't worry... that... the imperial envoy up ahead is still waiting for you."

  "Let him go back first, I'll just go to Chang'an myself."

  ……

  ……

  Xiang Qing Niu didn't realize he had forgotten to bring some dry rations until after he descended from the dusk mountain. He had only walked for half a day and his stomach was growling with hunger. He had planned to head to a nearby town not far from the dusk mountain to figure out how to get something to eat, but after precise calculations, he discovered that by the time he was one and a half miles away from the town, he would definitely pass out from hunger.

  At this moment, he suddenly heard a commotion coming from behind. He turned his head to look and found that it was a string of about six or seven horse-drawn carriages. The drivers were all sturdy men who didn't seem like good people at first glance. Especially the withered old man driving the second carriage, even made him feel an unconscious sense of resistance.

  Just as he was hesitating, he saw that the windows of the carriage were all open, and several beautiful women were looking out, so he completely dispelled his idea of asking for some food. In his opinion, the old man with a big wine gourd was scary, but far less scary than those demon-like women.

  Just when everything seemed hopeless, he suddenly found his luck had changed.

  About 100 meters away from the fleet, there was also a horse-drawn carriage following behind.

  The person driving the carriage was a middle-aged man, cracking his whip with a loud "pa" sound. Next to him sat a young man in black clothes, eyes closed as if he were asleep.

  That's not the point.

  The key is that one side of the rushing carriage was swinging a whip while eating meat on the other side.

  Delicious meat.