Record of Extinction Destiny Chapter 23: On the way
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After a few words with the shopkeeper, Shi Xuan took Ding Mingde back to his small courtyard. Although they said they were going to talk by candlelight at night, Ding Mingde was tired and hungry all the way. Now that he had eaten and drank enough, he was feeling sleepy. After chatting with Shi Xuan for a few words, he couldn't stop his eyelids from drooping.
Shi Xuan smiled knowingly when he saw this. He remembered how he used to stay up all night to go to class, and hurriedly took Ding Mingde to the left wing to settle down.
Back in his room, Shi Xuan did not immediately start to meditate. Instead, he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged. It seemed that he was resting his mind or cultivating, but in fact he let go of his spiritual sense and observed the entire yard with vigilance. With his sinister eyes, Shi Xuan did not dare to be careless, and if someone came, he might get more information.
It's a pity that the owner of that gaze did not come to visit Shixuan's yard tonight. The only sound in the whole yard was Ding Mingde's snoring and the chirping of cicadas on the parasol trees in the yard, making the night seem peaceful and quiet. After Shi Xuan was on guard for an hour, he put down his guard and started to visualize. During this period, whether on the road or in an inn or restaurant, Shi Xuan never relaxed his practice of visualization. He could feel the power of his soul every day and had entered the peak of the soul-strengthening stage. Unfortunately, he still didn't touch it. The threshold to the out-of-body period.
The moonlight was like water, and the night breeze was slightly cool. After Shi Xuan finished his meditation, he sat in front of the window and looked at the night scene in the yard, listening to various subtle sounds. This feeling was like being independent from the whole world, quietly. Observe the world. For Shi Xuan, everything is actually like a dream, but now that he is here, all he can do is move forward.
For Shi Xuan's current level of cultivation, daily sleep is still very necessary, especially since he is going to Tongxuan Mountain tomorrow, and he needs to be mentally refreshed. Originally, Shi Xuan had already arranged a specific itinerary, but the appearance of Ding Mingde made Shi Xuan put Shuanghu Village at the top of the itinerary. Because he didn't know much about it, he had to be extremely vigilant. After relaxing for a while, Shi Xuan went to bed.
A good night's sleep.
The sky was pale and the breeze was refreshing. Shi Xuan ordered two breakfasts after practicing in the early morning, and then woke up Ding Mingde. Tongxuan Mountain is fifty miles northwest of the city. Based on Shi Xuan's journey, it can be reached in a few hours. However, if you take Ding Mingde, who looks like a weak scholar at first glance, it will probably take you a day. So wake up Ding Mingde early, and then you will have more time whether you walk or hire a carriage.
In the courtyard, under the sycamore tree and beside the stone table, Ding Mingde was sitting opposite Shi Xuan. He looked like he was not awake at first glance, but although his personality was a bit nerdy, he did not have any arrogance and knew that he was just arrogant. Shi Xuan's meal and house were very cooperative, and he washed up and got up.
"Brother Mingde, I have arranged for the waiter to call a carriage, so that we can arrive at Tongxuan Mountain at Shen Shichu. Should we be able to make it in time?" Shi Xuan asked.
Ding Mingde said with some gratitude: "Brother Zi'ang, thank you for your trouble. According to my cousin, the chief steward will wait for me at Yuhua Pavilion for an hour during Youshi. It's totally in time."
After the meal, Shi Xuan and Ding Mingde carried their luggage and went to the counter to pay the full amount. Shi Xuan gave an extra two taels of silver as a tip to the waiter. The waiter's face flushed with gratitude, and he respectfully led Shi Xuan and Ding Mingde to the side door of the inn.
As soon as he walked out of the side door, he saw a relatively simple carriage. The two horses seemed to be older horses, and the driver was a middle-aged man with a somewhat honest appearance. Seeing Shi Xuan and others coming out, He hurriedly stepped forward and nodded and said: "Two gentlemen, we are going to Tongxuan Mountain. I, Zheng Daniu, am not boasting. I have been walking this road for almost twenty years. My carriage is smooth and fast." /
"Well, the waiter told you just now that as long as you catch this trip well, I will reward you with not only the two taels of silver for the fare, but also an additional five taels of silver." Shi Xuan still has a lot of spare money. , and now at the stage of the Great Zhoutian the day after tomorrow, you only need to eat enough food to replenish your energy every day. You can also hunt in the wild, and the need for money is not as high as it was in Cheyenne City.
"I'm sure, you two gentlemen, don't worry, don't worry!" Zheng Daniu said happily when he saw that his income far exceeded his imagination. Then he let the two people get into the carriage, sat on the carriage frame, and raised the whip in his hand.
Zheng Daniu was not bragging. Although the carriage was unavoidable, it was much better than the carriages he had ridden before. Just seeing Ding Mingde's face turned pale and did not vomit was proof. Seeing that Ding Mingde didn't have the energy to talk, Shi Xuan started chatting with Zheng Daniu.
As expected of someone who has been driving a carriage to Tongxuan Mountain for twenty years. Although many of Zheng Daniu’s words did not allow Shi Xuan to get more information, they also confirmed some of the things Shi Xuan had inquired about before, such as Tongxuan Mountain. It is true that people disappear every year. Although they are all said to be eaten by wild beasts, only a few can find their bodies. For example, in Tongxuan Mountain, a sound similar to a tiger's roar can often be heard at night, and it is rumored that it is caused by the monster.
As soon as noon arrived, Zheng Daniu saw the sun shining high and said to Shi Xuan: "Master Shi, we have walked more than half the distance. We will arrive in just over an hour. There is a tea shop in front of us. It is already afternoon. , why not go there to drink some tea, eat some food, and rest before leaving."
Shi Xuan looked at the pale-faced Ding Mingde, thought about the short distance left, and nodded: "Then let's go and have a rest. It's just in the afternoon."
After the carriage had walked for another half-quarter of an hour, a simple tea shop appeared on the side of the road. A small pavilion serves as the kitchen, and a large pergola is supported outside. Five or six square tables are placed randomly, and a banner with the word "tea" is hung, which is the entire tea shop.
When Shi Xuan's carriage stopped, a petite middle-aged aunt with slightly gray hair came out of the tea shop. She said to Shi Xuan and the others: "A few guests want to drink tea. The pot only costs ten cents, and we also have bacon, smoked chicken and rice.”
"Then bring a big pot of tea, cut a plate each of bacon and chicken, and fill it with rice. Is this enough money? If you have more, you will be rewarded." Shi Xuan looked at Zheng Daniu and Ding Mingde, and then He gave the landlady a tael of silver and said.
"That's enough! That's enough! Please take a seat inside." The landlady said very attentively when she saw the more generous guests.
Perhaps because of the hot weather in August, not many people are willing to travel far to burn incense and worship Buddha. There is only one customer at one table in the entire tea shop. This customer is very burly, and he looks like the landlady just sitting there. He is tall, has thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a beard. His specific age cannot be determined. He is wearing an old Taoist robe, full of holes and stains. There was a huge sword on the table, which was twice as wide and five minutes longer than the swords used by ordinary people in the world. There was also a large pot of tea, a plate of bacon, and a few steamed buns that looked like they were brought with them.
In addition, there is a curtain around the edge of the woods behind the tea shop, and there are several tough guards around. These are the female relatives of powerful families going out to play.
Zheng Daniu took some food and tea and went back to the carriage to enjoy it. On the one hand, he looked at the carriage, and on the other hand, he felt that his status was not worthy of sitting and dining with Shi Xuan.
Shi Xuan originally planned for the three of them to have lunch together, but Zheng Daniu insisted on it, and Shi Xuan couldn't force it. He and Ding Mingde had tea and bacon, and casually chatted about Ding Mingde's work as a teacher at Tongxuan Mountain.
Although Ding Mingde was a little dizzy from the bumps before, he regained his energy when he saw the food. While eating, he talked happily about future arrangements.
At this time, the burly Taoist stood up. He was nine feet tall (one foot is about 0.23 meters), almost a head taller than Shi Xuan. He took his giant sword and walked slowly behind Ding Mingde. , nodded towards Shi Xuan expressionlessly. Shi Xuan didn't know what he wanted to do, but just looked at him warily. From the steps and actions of this tall and strong stranger, you could tell that he was a master. Shi Xuan didn't have the ability to see the specific realm.
Ding Mingde was getting excited when he suddenly felt a shadow covering his head. Shi Xuan, who was opposite him, also looked behind him with a smile. He quickly turned around and saw the burly Taoist standing behind him like a mountain pressing down on top. He couldn't help but Moved towards Shi Xuan.
The burly Taoist said with a cold expression: "A certain family is also going to Shuanghu Village in Tongxuan Mountain. I heard that the two of you are fellow travelers, so I came over to get acquainted." I don't know if he deliberately had this cold expression or if he really didn't. He is too good at dealing with people and seems very arrogant.
"The Taoist priest is right. When Taoist and Zuo meet, they are destined to meet each other. I don't know Gao's surname?" Shi Xuan said with some caution in his heart.
"A certain family is not a Taoist priest, but the robe is loose and comfortable to wear. A certain family's surname is Yan, and the master named it 'Jujian'." Yan Jujian still looked expressionless.
The master's naming skills were really poor. Shi Xuan cursed a few words and then introduced: "This is Mr. Ding Ming De Ding. This time he went to Shuanghu Village in Tongxuan Mountain to be a teacher. I am poor... I am under Shi Xuan, I was going to visit Tongxuan Mountain, and I happened to meet Brother Ding. Once we met, we went together."
Yan Jujian looked at Shi Xuan and Shi Xuan carefully, and said with some meaning: "A certain family went to Shuanghu Village in Tongxuan Mountain to find an old friend."
Yan Jujian did not ask for their consent and sat down on his own. Shi Xuan wanted to see what the tall stranger had in mind, so he did not stop him. After the greetings, Yan Jujian began to ask Ding Mingde about Tongxuan Mountain. Although he was insinuating, he seemed to be really not good at talking to others. Shi Xuan understood it clearly. Only Ding Mingde, a nerd, could not see it. When I came out, I was very happy to have met a new friend, and he answered all my questions readily. Shi Xuan secretly murmured in his heart, is he also here to seek immortality and seek enlightenment?
When Shi Xuan in turn wanted to ask Yan Jujian for information about Shuanghu Village in Tongxuan Mountain, he found that the tall and strong stranger basically answered "I don't know" to Shi Xuan's questions. Otherwise, just ignore it.