The ancient book records: "There are strange snakes in the water, and they are famous." It has been turned into a dragon for 500 years, Jiao has turned into a dragon for a thousand years, a dragon has been a horned dragon for 500 years, and a dragon has been a dragon for a thousand years. ”

The one who responds to the dragon is in the center of the five main directions. The five elements of the soil, the color of the soil is yellow, so it is also called the yellow dragon. Huanglong is the god of clouds, rain and thunder, ditches and rivers, and is also the god of the dragon, the concubine of the god Taiyi.

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Rain!Heavy rain! Heavy rain!

The torrential rain continued. It's been going down since late April, and it's been mid-May until now, and it's still endless. The whole sky was always overcast, as if it was about to fall at any moment.

But in fact, this thundercloud does not always stay in one place. On the contrary, it is always moving. From east to west, starting from Hangzhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and constantly moving forward in the direction of Xiangxi. Within a radius of more than ten miles, there is continuous heavy rain. But as soon as you leave this range, the rain will immediately pass the day. It's very strange.

This kind of weirdness, for ordinary people, may not feel anything at all. But for Cheng Li and Xiaoqing, who came down from Hangzhou and have been tracking the westward journey of this rainstorm, the feeling is particularly profound.

Thunderclouds don't move very fast, but they are by no means slow. Especially when the clouds are floating in the sky, there are no obstacles. Go wherever you want. But people chase on the ground, but they have to climb mountains and wade through water. Sometimes, I have to take a detour, and the speed can't be improved at all.

Therefore, Cheng Li and Xiaoqing, in order to be able to catch up with the thunderstorm clouds, at least not to be thrown too far. In the past half a month, I haven't had a good rest at all, at most I just ride on horseback and take a nap. Even when eating, it is to gnaw dry food on horseback.

Fortunately, the physique of the two is already very different from ordinary people. After eating food, it is almost completely absorbed and produces very little waste. A little sweat will also get rid of all this waste. Otherwise, it will take time to facilitate and change clothes, which will only be thrown farther and farther away by thunderstorms.

But even so, I didn't sleep for more than half a month. On the way, change cars, horses, and boats, just don't change people. Cheng Li has entered the realm of the third awakening, and he can still support it. Xiaoqing is getting haggard day by day, and the goose egg face, which was originally a typical goose egg face, is about to turn into a melon seed face.

Cheng Li also once advised Xiaoqing that it was better to rest for a while. But Xiaoqing and her sister Xiaobai have relied on each other for thousands of years, and their relationship is so deep that it can be said that it is incomparable. So he refused to stop no matter what, and insisted on catching up with Cheng Li.

But the unexpected finally happened. On this day, Cheng Li and Xiaoqing had just arrived in Shaozhou (in the world to which Cheng Li belonged before, Shaozhou was also called Shaoyang in later generations), and the thick dark clouds hanging overhead suddenly dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In a moment, there was not a drop of torrential rain, only a blue sky and white clouds, and a beautiful sun.

Cheng Li and Xiaoqing held the reins at the same time, stopped at the horse, and looked up at the sky. For a moment, I couldn't speak. After a long time, Cheng Lifang was surprised and said, "It's not raining anymore?" Xiaoqing, do you know what's going on?"

Xiaoqing thought about it for a long time, and then hesitated: "This ...... I'll just guess, not necessarily accurate. I'm afraid, sister, she has regained her senses. ”

Cheng Liqi said: "What is the recovery of sanity? Could it be that in the past half a month. Your sister has been in a state of unconsciousness?"

Xiaoqing sighed: "I'm afraid it's true." Three hundred years ago, my sister flooded Jinshan Temple and was injured by the monk Fahai with a golden bowl. The body was imprisoned under the Leifeng Tower, and the soul was divided into three, each deposited on the sub-knife, the mother knife, and the crystal bead of the glazed treasure knife. They are all over the place.

Three hundred years later, the glazed treasure knives scattered in all directions have finally been reunited in the hands of you, little brother. My sister's torn soul was also restored to its entirety. So the soul drove the treasure knife and broke the ban of Leifeng Tower, and my sister was able to regain her freedom.

However, the body and soul have been separated from each other for more than 300 years, and when they are reunited, it is almost certain that the consciousness will be confused. So according to my speculation, my sister was probably in a state of confusion from the time she broke the seal until just now, and acted almost entirely on instinct, right? Because of this, it couldn't control it—or didn't even think about it, so much so that it caused a continuous torrential rain. ”

Cheng Li nodded: "That makes sense." But your sister is coming back to her senses, and we're in trouble. It had been raining before, so it was an obvious target anyway, and it was easy to track. It's not raining now, but how can we find your sister?"

Xiaoqing smiled bitterly: "This ...... People can't help it. Otherwise, let's leave my sister alone and go straight to Yongzhou. The secret treasure of our snake clan is placed in the deep mountains of Yongzhou. I still remember that place. No matter what my sister thinks, she will go back to Yongzhou after all. ”

Cheng Li's jaw said: "Do you want to wait for the rabbit? However, since I can't catch up with the White Lady. Let's go into the city and recuperate for the night. ”

Xiaoqing was stunned, then shook his head vigorously and said, "No, no need." I'm still fine. Can't afford to waste time here. Otherwise, let my sister go back to the mountains of Yongzhou first, and we will never find her. ”

Cheng Li couldn't help but say, grabbed the reins held by Xiaoqing, and urged the horse to go to the city. Said: "It's not bad for a day or two. In my opinion, the White Lady has been banned for hundreds of years, and now that she has reawakened, she must be very curious about the world in a few hundred years, and most of them will wander around. Maybe, she's in Shaozhou City right now. Let's go into the city for a walk, maybe we can meet it. ”

In fact, although Shaozhou City is not large, it also has a population of 200,000 or 300,000. In addition, it is the gateway to Xiangxi, so there are many business trips from the south to the north. The city is very lively. Counting on finding a white lady among hundreds of thousands of people...... The chances can't be said to be none, in short, they are very small.

But firstly, Xiaoqing has indeed been consumed to the limit of both mental and physical strength, and she really needs to recuperate, and secondly, she also has a fluke mentality, thinking if she can really be so lucky to meet the white lady in the city. So being pulled by Cheng Li like this, she also half-pushed and half-pushed, and followed into the city.

After entering the city, I saw that the city was clean and tidy, and the market was also prosperous. In particular, there is a straight avenue behind the city gate, although it cannot be paved with smooth stone slabs like in Hangzhou. But it is also made of gravel mixed with rammed earth, which can withstand the pressure of various vehicles and horses carrying large quantities of goods on the road.

On the left and right sides of the street, there are a large number of shops. What restaurants, inns, restaurants, teahouses, silk and satin villages, jewelry shops, grain and oil shops, carriage and horse shops, tooth shops, pawnshops...... And so on, it's all there.

On the streets, merchants dressed in various costumes rub shoulders one after another, and there is an endless stream. Of course, most of them are from the Central Plains, but there are also many men and women dressed as Miao people, Yi people, Pengyi, Wuxi Man, etc. There are even some people, wearing swords and other weapons, swaggering around the streets. At first glance, you can tell that you are a person in the rivers and lakes.

But among so many business trips from the south to the north, no one can compare with Cheng Li in terms of handsomeness and beauty. In terms of sweetness and cuteness, no one can compare to Xiaoqing. Therefore, as soon as the two of them entered the city, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone.

However, it is precisely because of their extraordinary style. As long as you have a little bit of eyes, you can see that they are by no means ordinary men and women, and they are not easy to provoke. Therefore, the vast majority of people only stay at the stage of "looking twice", and do not dare to take any action seriously.

Cheng Li also ignored these people. He and Xiaoqing walked on the street together for a long time, and suddenly a smell came to his nose. When I looked up, it was a big building. There is a plaque hanging in front of the gate, which reads the words "Fushun Inn".

Cheng Li turned over and dismounted, and immediately a famous servant greeted him, and greeted him warmly: "Guest officer, do you want to be sharpened, or do you want to stay in the hotel?" The hotel is equipped with hot water at twelve o'clock all day, and you can take a bath at any time. ”

Cheng Li said: "That's good. Let's open two upper rooms first. Find another table for us to eat. By the way, help us take care of the horses. ”

The little guy said with a smile on his face: "Don't worry, the guest officer, you are satisfied." He turned his head and shouted into the door, "Two guests, two upper rooms, have come to entertain guests." ”

In the midst of the shouting, Xiaoqing also turned over and dismounted, and walked into the inn with Cheng Li. The little man took the two horses to the stable, and his own groom washed and fed them, and took care of them wholeheartedly.

Cheng Li took Xiaoqing's hand and stepped into the door of the inn. I saw that this inn is five stories high, and it is in the shape of "Hui". The ground floor is the lobby. There are dozens of dining tables. The second floor is a private seat. The third, fourth, fifth and third floors are all guest rooms. Standing on the edge of the stairs on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors and looking down, you can see the situation in the lobby at a glance.

The rooms in the inn are divided into three classes: upper, middle and lower. The fourth and fifth floors are the upper room, the third floor is the middle room, and the lower room is just a large shop, located in the backyard of the inn. Cheng Li and Xiaoqing followed the shopkeeper to the fourth floor and lived in the room. After settling down with the simple luggage, I washed my face with hot water and wiped my body clean. Put on a new set of clothes. Let's go down to the second floor to eat together.

Shaozhou City belongs to Hunan Province, and the local cuisine is the same as most Hunan cuisine. It is mainly heavy in oil and strong in color, soft and spicy. However, the local cuisine of Shaozhou also has some unique characteristics. For example, pork blood balls are a local signature dish.

Made with tofu, pork, and pig's blood, the focus is on tofu, but the finished product is baked in the same way as bacon. The taste is very distinct.

In addition, there are sour grilled fish, stir-fried pork, and chicken in a large pot, which are also very famous dishes in the region. Cheng Li ordered a plate of everything, plus a small jar of glutinous rice wine, which was sweet and sour, very easy to eat.

Next to this seat, it also happens to be the window facing the street. An elaborately woven bamboo curtain hangs down, obscuring the window. It blocks the dust on the street outside, but does not obstruct the transmission of light. At the same time, when you look through the gap in the bamboo curtain, you can see the scenery of the street outside at a glance. Such a private seat alone has already made the guests feel that the money they took out was well spent.

Cheng Li and Xiaoqing sat opposite each other for a drink, watching the street scene and chatting about some gossip. But no one mentioned anything about the White Lady again.

As he was talking, he suddenly heard the second shopkeeper downstairs shouting again. Immediately after, a clanging sound was heard, and a total of six people walked into the inn lobby together. 、

These six people are all dressed in sackcloth monks' robes, with straw sandals on their feet, their hair shaved well, and the scars on their heads, as if they were six monks. Five of the monks, all in their early twenties, carried a sword at their waists. The monk who was surrounded by them looked like he was in his forties, and he was carrying a water-milled iron Zen staff as thick as a duck's egg. The muscles are knotted, and it looks extremely powerful.

The six monks entered the shop and sat down at a table in the corner. The shopkeeper stepped forward to ask them what they wanted, and one of the monks whispered. It didn't take long for the shopkeeper to deliver the meal, which was a plate of stir-fried fungus, a plate of braised bamboo shoots in oil, and a plate of dried tofu. Add six large bowls of rice.

The monk who came forward to deal with the shopkeeper took out the copper money from his coat to pay the bill, and then sat down. The six of them clasped their palms together and recited a scripture in unison, and then each picked up chopsticks to eat. From beginning to end, there was no second person who said a second superfluous sentence.

Xiaoqing has always been suspicious of things like monks because of the flooding of Jinshan back then. At this time, he suddenly saw six monks coming in, and he couldn't help but pout, and said, "The monk should turn his fate and beg for food." actually used copper money to buy food, it can be seen that these people are all fake monks who do not abide by the rules and precepts. ”

Xiaoqing was talking in the private seat on the second floor, dozens of steps away from the lobby downstairs. Xiaoqing's voice was not particularly loud. But before she could speak, the six monks next to the table downstairs stopped their chopsticks as if they sensed it at the same time. Among them, a monk with a lion's nose was about to slap his chopsticks on the table with his eyes glaring.

However, this raised arm had just fallen less than half a foot, and another senior monk next to him had already reached out in time to block him and shook his head. The lion-nosed monk snorted heavily, and then swallowed his anger and buried his head in the rice.

Although the movement of these monks was not large, even the other guests who were eating in the same hall were not aware of it. But Cheng Li, who was in the elegant seat on the second floor, keenly felt that there was a fierce aura that disappeared in a flash. The strength of this aura, roughly estimated, is at least at the level of Bai Qiufei or Zhai Feijing. In the rivers and lakes, it is already an extremely rare top master.

Of course, even in the past, Cheng Li would not be afraid of a master of Bai Qiufei or Zhai Feijing's level. Now that he has broken through to the realm of the third awakening, he naturally doesn't take a similar level of master in his eyes. 、

However, the goal of this trip is mainly to catch up with the White Lady, and then enter the secret realm of the snake clan and uncover the secret of the cave heaven and blessed land. So it's useless to provoke the enemy, so Cheng Li didn't say anything, just turned the chopsticks and tapped them lightly on the back of Xiaoqing's hand, and said, "Don't talk nonsense, eat." ”

Xiaoqing pursed her mouth and said, "Little brother......"

As soon as he said three words, suddenly, there was a long noise in the lobby below.

"Fusheng Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable. The feng shui of this shop is good. Presumably, the sake and food taste good, too. Son, why don't we go in and have a drink?"

"Master, the feng shui of other people's shops doesn't seem to have anything to do with the taste of the wine and food, right? ”

The two voices that spoke sounded like one old and one young. Immediately afterwards, I saw an old Taoist priest and a small Taoist priest, walking into the lobby together.

Cheng Li, who was sitting in the private seat on the second floor, suddenly saw these two people, and his face couldn't help but be stunned, and blurted out: "These two Taoist priests ...... Why do you seem to have seen it somewhere?"