Lao Dao and Qin Chuan left the hill, rested for a while, ate a mouthful of hemp cakes, and after a few hours of trekking, they finally arrived at Qingzhou City before the sun went down.

Qin Chuan looked at the guards at the state gate and asked, "Old Dao, let's go to Qingzhou City to rest tonight?" Outside the city, whether it is a top hat or a hotel, the price difference is very big!" Qin Chuan thought that if there was nothing urgent, he would first find a farmer's house outside Qingzhou City to live in, and he could save a lot of money.

Lao Dao patted his cloth bag and said: "Don't worry, when you come out to travel, you will naturally bring enough money, you just need to eat and drink, and I can't treat you badly." ”

Qin Chuan still muttered: "If you have money, you won't be such a loser." After speaking, he followed the old road and prepared to enter the city.

"Stop, what's on your back?" The guards at the state gate saw two Taoist priests, one old and one young, hurrying to Qingzhou City before sunset, one carrying a sword box and the other carrying an iron pot, and their movements were very suspicious.

Qin Chuan was about to talk, but the old Taoist preemptively spoke: "This official, I and the young apprentice were entrusted by others to congratulate a happy event in the city, play a little pleasing tune, and the main family will reward a few silver coins." Lao Dao said, pointed to the suona on his waist, so it seems that what Lao Dao said is true.

But the guard of the state gate is an errand with a lot of oil and water, no matter who passes by, he always hollows out his mind to get some oil and water down, but he just has to watch the food and eat, and some of the old men in Qingzhou City can't be messed with.

The guard of this new state gate has long heard from others that as long as it takes a year, he will be able to buy a house in Qingzhou City and marry a daughter-in-law with big arms and fat arms. Therefore, I heard that Lao Dao was going to attend the wedding banquet this time, thinking that he would definitely have some money on him when he came back, and when the time came, he would change to other guards, and this oil and water would definitely be used again, so it was better to take advantage of the lack of people now.

Looking at the faces of the two old Taoists, they must not be from Qingzhou City, and they have no name to enter the city, they must be the little Taoist priests of the wilderness Taoist temple, and these two people are not to be afraid.

Thinking of this, the guard of the state gate said to Lao Dao: "It's getting late, and the city gate is about to close, so you can only go out of the city today, and you can't enter the city!"

After that, a person dressed as a wealthy businessman next to him said to the guard at the state gate: "Master Zhang, you are here today, drive Ming'er to my place for tea, hey, new goods, enjoy your face?"

The guard at the state gate replied to the rich merchant with a smile: "Shopkeeper Liu, I was busy until I came back so late, and when I was off duty, I must go." ”

The shopkeeper Liu glanced at Lao Dao and Qin Chuan, thinking that they were going to be fished out of some oil and water here, and looked like he had nothing to do with himself, smiled at the guards at the state gate, turned around and left.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan said to the guards: "You said that the city gate can only go out, not enter, how did that person enter just now? Besides, I have passed by the city gate many times before, but no one said that our behavior is suspicious. ”

The guard at the state gate leaned impatiently against the wall and said: "The shopkeeper Liu in this city knows us, so for him, I reluctantly make an exception, but you, I don't know where you came from, if I let you in and cause a big disaster, I can't eat and walk around." ”

Seeing that there was no one around, the guard at the state gate raised his finger and continued: "I don't care who let you in before, but in my hands, it is all strict, after all, you are carrying a sword on your back, and you entered the city at sunset, you really can't help but let others suspect." Don't blame the Dao chief, I'm also for the people in Qingzhou City. ”

The meaning of this guard at the state gate is very clear, if he doesn't give money, he won't be able to enter the city today.

"The deception is too great, it is simply a bandit and a robber, and he will not enter the city today. Qin Chuan pulled the old way, ready to turn around and leave.

"Stop, dare to do something to the guards at the state gate, I'm afraid you're going to spend the night in prison tonight. Seeing that the two of them were so ignorant, the guard of the state gate was angry, and he was about to call the others over and send Lao Dao and Qin Chuan to the prison cell of the state gate, so he shouted that Qin Chuan dared to do it, but in fact, he was just extorting bamboo on trumped-up charges.

The cells at the state gate are the places where suspicious people are screened, and if there is no way to prove their identity, they will be held here for a long time until they are finally clarified. If the person who came in did not have a certain amount of money to pay up and down, he would not have to be tortured, and it was said that in this prison he would inevitably be lynched.

Therefore, when he heard the guard at the state gate say that he was staying in prison, Lao Dao hurriedly took over the words next to him: "Official, official, don't be impatient, my young disciple is in a hurry, don't take it to heart." ”

The guard at the state gate said unabashedly at this moment: "Five taels of silver, otherwise the two of you will stay in prison tonight, as for when you will come out...... That might be a deal. ”

The price of entering the city gate is only fifty yuan per person, and now the two of them have annoyed the guards of the state gate, so they began to ask for the price, after all, for the ordinary people of Qingzhou City, these five taels of silver are a month's rations.

Lao Dao bowed and said, "We are entering the city today for tomorrow's wedding feast, so we are not rushing into the city this time. The two of us are also from Qingzhou, but we live in a remote area, and the main family said that if the guard of the state gate asked, it would be for him, and said that you would be released immediately, but I didn't want to use someone else's name. ”

The guard at the state gate became interested at the moment: "Hey, you are here for a happy event, and you are still in the name of someone else?" ”

Lao Dao scratched his head embarrassedly, glanced at Qin Chuan and said: "I haven't really met him, I just heard the middleman talk about it, saying that his surname is Zhou, and he has some reputation in Qingzhou City." ”

When the guards at the state gate heard this, they quickly stood up and asked, "But Zhou Youliang, the eldest prince of Zhou?"

Seeing this, Qin Chuan also immediately replied: "Yes, it seems to be this person, but it was a horse-faced man who passed the message, holding a long sword, and said that let's come to Qingzhou City tomorrow to play joy, but we can't miss the time." ”

"That's Chen Ye of Yonghe Dart Bureau, the guard of Grand Prince Zhou. The guard at the state gate replied.

Qingzhou people all know the relationship between Yonghe Dart Bureau and Zhou Youliang, so when they heard Qin Chuan talk about the horse-faced man, they no longer doubted the identities of Lao Dao and Qin Chuan, but muttered to themselves, Zhou Youliang has a happy event tomorrow, why don't he know, it must be Zhou Youliang who has taken a fancy to which girl, and he wants to take a concubine.

Thinking of this, the guard of the state gate said with a smile on his face: "This is really a big flood that washed the Dragon King Temple, the family doesn't know the family, Chen Ye said hello before, saying that there are two people who are immortal and Taoist are going to enter the city, let me take care of it, I don't look at it It's already sunset, I haven't seen a figure yet, I'm afraid I won't come again today, so I forgot about this stubble, two Taoist masters, don't be surprised." However, Chen Ye is right, the two Dao Masters are really Dao style, just like immortals in the world......"

The guards at the state gate kept patting the horses' ass, and the old man saluted and said: "Official, don't bother me, it's just that I and the young apprentice entered the city today, hurry up and hurry, or one step late, the time of the state gate is fixed, so I don't know if it is convenient to enter the city at this moment, otherwise I will ask the intermediary to reply, and say that I will enter the city again tomorrow, but if the time is delayed, it will also trouble this official and me to make it convenient and go with me, otherwise the master will definitely blame me." ”

Thinking of going to the Zhou Mansion to apologize, the guards at the gate of this state couldn't help but tremble, and hurriedly said: "Convenient, it must be convenient, since the two Taoist leaders are here for the happy event of Zhou Gongzi, it is convenient at any time." The two Taoist chiefs, please, I will send you to the mansion of the Grand Prince of Zhou. ”

Lao Dao waved his hand and said, "The official is entangled in official business, so there is no need to send us." We will enter the city later, and we will be able to find the mansion of the prince of Zhou by asking passers-by. ”

The guard at the state gate dodged away and made a gesture of invitation and said: "In this case, then I will not send the two Taoist chiefs today, but in front of Zhou Dagongzi and Chen Ye, I can't talk about this matter, if Zhou Dagongzi and Chen Ye misunderstood me, saying that I deliberately made a stumbling block for the two Taoist chiefs, this is not clear, I am old and young, and it is not easy to get an errand...... Not enough, I hereby guarantee that if the Taoist Governor enters and leaves Qingzhou City in the future, there will be no difficulties. After that, he took out a token from his body, beautifully carved, engraved with the word Qingzhou, it seems that this is the token of Qingzhou City, the number is scarce, how precious.

Qin Chuan hurriedly took it over and said, "Okay, okay, I will definitely help you say a few kind words in front of Master Zhou." ”

Lao Dao bowed and said, "Official, I will leave here, and he will meet again in the future." ”

One after the other, Lao Dao and Qin Chuan rushed towards the city.

The guards at the state gate shouted from behind, "Dao Chief, if you have any help from me, you must come to me." ”

The people who went out of the city next to him saw that the backs of the guards at the state gate were already wet, and they were sweating profusely on their foreheads, and they couldn't help but laugh.

The guards at the state gate regained their old looks: "What are you laughing at, hurry out of the city, if I find out anything, let you stay in prison for one night." ”

Hearing this, the pedestrians next to him hurriedly walked a few steps forward and walked out of the city.

......

Lao Dao and Qin Chuan entered the city, at this moment it is different from the scene of the previous days, this Qingzhou City is really lively, pedestrians come and go, obviously the night market has begun.

Qin Chuan stopped beside him at the moment, and saw that the guards at the state gate did not follow, so he said: "We came to Qingzhou City before, but we didn't see any difference, I didn't expect that it was really Longyou Shoal was played by shrimp, and the tiger fell in Pingyang and was bullied by dogs, and the guards of a small state gate dared to ask for money in broad daylight. ”

When Lao Dao heard this, he said: "Where is this, the guards of a state gate have stumped you, this martial arts road is still far away." Walking the martial arts rivers and lakes, the most important thing is to protect yourself, sometimes you can only outwit, not brute force, so I moved the name of Zhou Youliang out to save the effort of words. ”

Qin Chuan heard Zhou Youliang's name, so he asked: "We were in the tavern of that hill before, why didn't you allow me to give up the table to Zhou Youliang, but I had to finish the noodles, and finally annoyed Zhou Youliang, causing Mr. Yu to be seriously injured." ”

"Hehe, the reason is very simple, because I don't want to! When I eat, I hate being urged by others. Lao Dao said as he saw the crowd coming and going.

"In the hill before, the scar-faced old five wronged us so much, you weren't so angry, didn't you let us change the table that week? Qin Chuan was very puzzled by the old way.

As Taoists, if we run around eating with a bowl, what is the difference between us and those who ask for food on the street? If we lose the face of our ancestors, won't we let others see the jokes. ”

Qin Chuan asked disapprovingly: "Then if it is in the wilderness, then how do you eat?" There were no tables and chairs when we passed by in the mountains before, but I saw that you ate very well." ”

Lao Dao said with a stern expression: "I don't have any rules in my life, but in terms of diet, I am a little particular, and in front of people, I pay more attention to pomp. Therefore, to be able to sit is to never stand, never to lie down, otherwise it is self-inflicted. That week, Youliang actually asked me to give up my position in front of so many people, which was really annoying, I wanted to clean him up after eating noodles, but I didn't know that Mr. Yu was iron-clad, and he really stood out for us. ”

"It's just that I don't see any moves from you, why did all those people fall?" Qin Chuan asked unhurriedly.

"The Tao is in the heart, the moves are also in the heart, and the moves you see are just the incarnation of the Tao. So even if I don't use the talisman, how can those people trap me for a moment?" said Lao Dao quite smugly.

Qin Chuan looked at the more and more people on the street, and asked Lao Dao: "Hey, you have to go, then you, a master of the martial arts rivers and lakes, are you ready to give a big gift to Mr. Yu's head?

When Lao Dao heard this, he glanced around, made a silent gesture and said, "Shh, sometimes it's not a good thing to have a strange treasure. It's just that Mr. Yu angered Zhou Youliang and others because of this matter, and it will definitely be difficult to move an inch in Qingzhou City in the future. Some people don't know until they've gone through a lifetime. ”

Qin Chuan asked: "Then where are we going now, but we have to find a place to rest first?" You have to take care of the money, don't be touched by thieves, we can only sleep on the street at that time, and we have really become the so-called person who asks for food in your mouth." ”

Lao Dao pointed to the southeast direction and said: "Across Hengzheng Street, go a few more lanes, and you will arrive at Pingyang Fang, although it is the residence of the dilapidated Xiucai, but there are also many strange people, and there are also many houses in Pingyang Fang, and the accommodation does not cost much money, let's go, where to see." ”

Hearing this, Qin Chuan walked side by side with Lao Dao, and it didn't take long for Qin Chuan to say thirstily: "I drank a lot of wine with Mr. Yu before, so the osmanthus wine in this wine bag has not been touched......

Lao Dao naturally knew what Qin Chuan meant, took out the wine bag from his waist and threw it to Qin Chuan and said, "Rabbit cub, I know that you have a lot of bad intentions." ”

Qin Chuan hurriedly unscrewed the cork, took a deep breath and said: "It's still the aroma of our family's wine, and the strong wine in my head is spicy, and I drank a lot of water along the way." ”

Lao Dao smiled: "You peeled garlic after eating noodles, right?"

Qin Chuan took a few more sips and said, "That's not for sure, maybe it's because of the strong wine with garlic." By the way, Lao Dao, when did you teach me the secret method of martial arts, you said before, I can solve this stubborn disease. Along the way, I saw a lot of strong people in the martial arts, so I wanted to practice my fists and feet to protect myself, so as not to run into bad people, I could only run away with my legs. ”

Lao Dao said beside him: "With me by your side, what are you afraid of? It's just that you still need a few flavors of medicine for this stubborn disease, so you can't be in a hurry." I heard that there are a lot of down-and-out talents in Pingyang City who sell strange books and classics, so let's go and shop for them. ”

When Qin Chuan heard that there were books for sale, he was also very happy and said, "Hurry up, go quickly." With that, the two walked towards Pingyangfang.

Before half the time of the pillar of incense, a group of people appeared in the place where Lao Dao and Qin Chuan were before, and the leader was wearing clothes made of purple satin, and asked a scar-faced person and said, "Old Five, are these two people ruining our big thing?"

Scarface whispered, "Yes, big brother, it's them." ”

The man in purple satin said, "Let's go and settle the matter first, and then go and meet these two." ”

With that, the group followed behind the purple satin man and disappeared into the streets of Qingzhou City.