The sudden but hurried autumn rain rendered the world in a fog, and the warm sun sprayed out through the morning mist floating between the heaven and the earth, reflecting the mighty river and the majestic shogunate mountain in the east.

Zhu Daolin, who was uncertain, stood on the hill in front of the side of the ruined Taoist temple, looking at the vast river surface where the fog gradually dispersed and the sparkling waves for a long time, his eyes were full of worry and panic.

The bleak autumn wind that blows slowly, the withered yellow weeds that rise and fall all over the mountains, the vast and majestic Shogunate Mountain behind you, the vast and galloping river ahead, the crowing of roosters in the distance, and the singing of birds all around...... Everything was telling him clearly and unmistakably that he was in a real real world at this moment, so real that his pounding heart tingled faintly.

After a long sigh, Zhu Daolin, who had mixed tastes in his heart, raised his left hand again, glanced at the blue-black diamond ring on his wrist, turned around and walked down the hill in frustration, and walked towards the ruined Taoist temple at the foot of the mountain.

Lao Dao squatted on the threshold with a big bowl full of rice porridge, and only raised his head after drinking half a bowl of hulala, and looked at Zhu Daolin, who was walking over, and smiled: "The interest is quite high, haha!" What do you think of the scenery of my Feng Shui treasure? ”

Zhu Daolin stopped: "Yes, it is close to the mountains and rivers, the winding paths are quiet, and it is quiet enough, but unfortunately the hill in the south blocks the view, and you can only see the small river and village two miles away, and you can't see Jinling City, which is a tiger in the dragon pan." ”

Lao Dao's eyes lit up: "Insightful!" Boy, you haven't told me what your plans are, stay or leave later? ”

Zhu Daolin pondered for a moment: "Do you need a guide to enter the city, or any other identity certificate?" ”

Lao Dao pinched for a moment, put down the bowl and sat on the threshold: "Usually wanted, if you take a cargo ship to enter the city from Shuiguan, or follow behind the poor road, it doesn't matter if there is a road guide or not, as long as it is not an extraordinary period, the soldiers guarding the city will not embarrass us and other outsiders, and the entire Ming Dynasty is still very polite to my Taoism." ”

"If you want to enter the city, you will follow me, I will also enter the city today, and by the way, I will meet the Taoist friends in the city, but I still want to ask, do you have relatives and friends in Jinling City?"

Zhu Daolin put his mind at ease and truthfully stated his plans: "I am a lonely ghost, where are my relatives and friends?" I just hope to find a job to fill my stomach as soon as possible, no matter what happens in the future, I have to fill my stomach first to live, right? Look at it, my clothes were generously given to me by your husband, and this pair of cloth shoes, although the size is a little smaller, can be worn as slippers can still protect your feet, so I have to find a job as soon as possible and make money as soon as possible to repay you. ”

The old Dao was happy, glanced at the tight old Taoist robe on Zhu Daolin's body, and then looked at the hem of the Taoist robe that could not cover most of the calves and the narrow cloth shoes on the big feet:

"Let's put it on first, if you don't have a place to go, why don't you follow me to cultivate? It is estimated that you can't count on the rich, and it is still easy to carry ten taels of silver in your pocket from time to time, which is much easier than you have no head and no brains to find a job. ”

Zhu Daolin shook his head again and again: "Don't hide it from you, the kid is not over, I am afraid that I will not have a relationship with the Daomen in this life, although I am penniless and unrelated at the moment, but I still have the strength to do it, as long as I am diligent, there will always be a way." ”

Lao Dao smiled and didn't force it: "Backbone, very good!" Let's go have breakfast first, and then let's go into the city together. ”

"Thank you! I'm sorry you're getting old. ”

Half an hour later, Zhu Daolin, who drank two large bowls of gruel in one gulp and then soaked his urine, left the Taoist temple behind Lao Dao, passed through the wide valley full of gravel and weeds in front of the Taoist temple, followed the small river, bypassed the undulating hills of hundreds of meters in the southeast, and saw the Jinling city outline towering majestically three miles away at a glance.

As he walked, the surrounding environment made Zhu Daolin feel a sense of déjà vu, and unconsciously he stopped and looked around, and finally withdrew his gaze from the towering heavy eaves of Jinling City in front of him, and once again cast his gaze to the lonely hill on the bank of the Yangtze River on the right.

Seeing this, Lao Dao stopped: "What are you looking at so fascinating? ”

Zhu Daolin came back to his senses, tidied up the headscarf on his head and said with a smile: "If a Yangtze River bridge is erected on the low post by the river to connect the north bank, do you say it is much more convenient?" ”

Lao Dao's eyes widened: "It's just a fool's dream, your brain is not confused, right?" ”

Zhu Daolin, who has determined that the place is the starting point of the south bank of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, smiled, shook the burden on his shoulders and continued to hurry, the more he walked forward, the road became more and more spacious, and there were more and more houses and pedestrians, and when he arrived at the ferry, the flow of people increased exponentially, and the sound of shouting, laughter, children's cries and the sound of the axles of the carriage hurrying by were endless, and it was like entering the bustling city in the middle of it.

While waiting for the ferry, the careful Zhu Daolin found again that the Jinchuan River in front of him was actually more than 30 meters wide, the water flow was abundant, deep and clear, and from time to time I saw the canopy boats coming and going and the wide flat-bottomed boats full of goods shuttling on it, where is the Jinchuan River that has more than doubled the water color after hundreds of years?

Lao Dao kept greeting the villagers who were familiar with him along the way, and finally returned to Zhu Daolin, who was looking around stupidly: "Let's go, the boat is coming, I want to let you see enough after entering the city." ”

Zhu Daolin grinned, followed the old road with the dust whisk fairy wind bone, and waited for the people on the boat to get on the boat as soon as they got off, and boarded the south bank pier in less than a quarter of an hour, and walked straight to the Jinchuan Gate under the high high building.

Lao Dao was very patient, and introduced the historical allusions of the city gates to Zhu Daolin while walking, and when he entered the city gate, not only did he not encounter difficulties from the officers and soldiers like ordinary people, but the sturdy officers and soldiers also respectfully greeted the old Dao and called the old man a real person.

Zhu Daolin never thought that the shabby old Dao who lived alone in the wilderness would have such popularity and prestige, and he felt that he underestimated the ability of the old Dao, and guessed that the old Dao was likely to be a well-known figure in the Shangqing faction from the ancestral court of Maoshan, otherwise he would not be able to deserve the title of a real person.

Passing through the bustling city gate hole, the wide stone street appears in front of you, the wine shops and shops on both sides of the street are lined up one after another, the flags hung high and the beautifully made signboards are densely packed, as far as the eye can see, there are people coming and going everywhere and the big cars that are constantly connected, and finally follow the old road into the carriage shop at the entrance of the street, Zhu Daolin actually saw a row of sedan chairs and several enclosed carriages with exquisite workmanship.

The amiable old man paid three coins of silver under the courteous greeting of the shopkeeper, and the two young men soon brought the open-top carriage with huge wheels, and respectfully invited the old man and Zhu Daolin to get into the car together with the shopkeeper, and finally loudly told the coachman to serve him wholeheartedly and drive carefully.

After a mile or so down the bustling street, the familiar coachman drove into the alley to the west, and soon crossed the alley to another north-south street with few pedestrians.

Lao Dao saw Zhu Daolin looking left and right all the way, full of interest, smiled proudly, and introduced in a low voice: "Do you see the big school field on the right?" This is the Nanjing garrison camp, a row used to be all the north of the city where the Yamen and the armory are located, covering an area of more than 500 acres, extending to the south to the Yuanmen under the stone mountain...... Do you see it? The four miles facing the street are full of two-storey pavilions of blue bricks and gray tiles, this is still the scale of the slack and uncultivated armaments of the officials and soldiers in the past few years, nearly half of the pavilions and barracks have collapsed, you can imagine how majestic and magnificent it is here during the Yongle period. ”

Zhu Daolin nodded frequently, his eyes had been closely observing, and he kept comparing everything in front of him with various memories in his mind, until the carriage entered the intersection and turned into the direction of the Drum Tower, Zhu Daolin humbly asked Lao Dao: "Uncle Dao, where are we going?" ”

"First go to the ready-to-wear shop on Shuyuan Street, buy you two sets of clothes and shoes and socks, and then go to Chaotian Palace to visit a few fellow doors, and after a little rest to fill your stomach, then go to the two laymen's mansions in the east of the city to turn into a fate, and go out of the city to return to my mountain and wild Taoist temple before the time of unitary."

Speaking of this, the old road paused, and turned to Zhu Daolin with gratitude on his face: "I pondered for a long time along the way, and I wanted to go to Shangyuan County to settle a registration for you, but I was worried that it would not be easy to do, even if one or two senior brothers from Chaotian Palace were brought in to vouch for you, it was expected to take a month or two to settle down." ”

Zhu Daolin was nervous, and he was embarrassed to beg cheekily, so he had to close his mouth and be silent.

Lao Dao instructed the coachman to turn to Shuyuan Street, and once again faced Zhu Daolin, whose eyebrows were tightly locked, and whispered: "If you are willing, I will ask the senior brother in charge of Chaotian Palace to work hard later, and go to Yingtianfu to ask for a degree for you in the name of my Shangqing Daomen, and it is estimated that it can be done in three days......"

"It's much more convenient to have Du Mu, after a year and a half, you can settle down in Nanjing City, and then in the name of returning the vulgar, you can spend some money to Yamen to convert Du Mu into a civil state, how do you like this arrangement?"

Zhu Daolin was grateful: "Uncle Dao, why do you help me so much?" ”

Lao Dao sighed quietly: "Who made me think that you are a boy?" Although I don't know where you came from and where you will go in the future, I can be sure that you have a deep relationship with my Taoism, and you are good-looking, honest and steady, dragon-like, strange-looking, and good-looking, worthy of my help to you, just take it as a good fate! ”

"Uncle Dao, I don't know if I can repay you in this life, but I will remember this kindness in my heart." Zhu Daolin's heart was full of heavy gratitude and guilt, and he felt that his nose was sour, so he had to take a deep breath secretly, turn his head and pretend to look at the bustling shops on the other side.

Lao Dao took in all of Zhu Daolin's reactions, smiled with relief and stopped talking. However, after the carriage turned into the academy road in front of Guozijian, Zhu Daolin, who was calm, took the initiative to ask: "Uncle Dao, I haven't asked you for your old name." ”

Lao Dao couldn't help but laugh: "I've never seen a junior dare to ask the name of the elder like this, and I don't know which senior brother taught a disciple like you, haha!" Remember the boy, my surname is Sun Mingyuan, and my name is Xuanqing, if you don't dislike it, call me Uncle in the future, anyway, your mother's family is also my Shangqing lineage, and it is estimated that the generation is about the same. ”

Zhu Daolin immediately straightened his posture and bowed to thank him from the bottom of his heart!

"Thank you Uncle for your success, at least, my little nephew is no longer alone in this world."