More than 30 miles to the east of the imperial city, there are endless lofty mountains, which have been the proudest guards of the imperial city for thousands of years, and can resist wind and snow and resist external troubles.

Among the mountains, it is the highest Zhenming Mountain, the world does not know how high it is, only knows to look up, the mountain peaks are hidden in the clouds and mist, hazy, and the cliffs that are faintly visible. Even if I want to find out, I have no way out.

In short, only the people on the mountain know how high the mountain really is.

There is a small lake on the top of the mountain, and there is a thatched hut in the middle of the lake. I don't know how many years this thatched hut has been standing here, the Pengmen and the Huhu are reflected in the mountains and rivers, and the tranquility of the fireworks that does not eat the world seems to let people see the swallows and worship the Buddha and the swimming fish to listen.

At this moment, wisps of cooking smoke rose from the thatched hut. In the middle of the house, there is a desk scattered with brushes and chessboards, carved walnut wood, the corners of the case are smooth like jade, and you can see that the years are not short at a glance.

On both sides of the case, there are two figures sitting and playing against each other, one is a middle-aged man with blue eyes and square eyes, it is Zhou Zong, compared to sixteen years ago, he has passed the age of knowing the destiny of heaven, the green silk is mixed with a little silver, and there are blood under his eyes, presumably he has to work a lot for the trivial things in the door. At this moment, his eyebrows and eyes are raised, with a half-point smile on his face, and his plain black dress with gold thread strokes is both a little majestic and a little uninhibited.

The other is a Taoist who caresses the dust of Guanyin with three bells, wearing a simple Taoist robe that is washed blue and white, with fairy wind and bones, and his face is like frost, as Zhou Zong's senior brother, he is obviously four or five years older, but he looks much younger. His tightly knit brow on his thin cheeks was a little intimidating, especially those deep eyes, which seemed to penetrate the souls of others with just one look.

Zhou Zong stroked the chess in his hand, but asked with a smile: "I haven't seen each other for sixteen years, how can my senior brother invite me to play so elegantly today?" ”

The Taoist replied indifferently: "There is something to do in a few days, and you must take care of it." ”

Seeing that it was a request for someone, Zhou Zong was a little surprised at first, and then the smile on his face became even stronger, and he nodded deliberately in a pretentious manner, and then unhurriedly dropped a sunspot on the chessboard, raised his eyebrows slightly and asked again: "What are you doing?" ”

The Taoist didn't answer when he heard this, stared at the chessboard intently for a long time, and after slowly falling a grain of white, he suddenly raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't tell in detail." ”

The attitude of Taoist people asking others to do things is so arrogant, and it is already cold to be someone else. I don't know if Zhou Zong is accustomed to the temperament of a Taoist or broad-minded, and he doesn't care much about him, but he smiled and said: "Senior brother has returned to the mountains to live in seclusion for twenty years, and senior brother still thinks that you will not step into the world again in this life." ”

"I have an oath first, I will not enter the WTO again in this life, and this trip will be for me." The Taoist did not raise his head when he spoke, but his left hand fell and his right hand brushed the dust on the placket.

When Zhou Zong heard this, his hand that was about to fall froze, his palm hung in the air for a moment, and then he took it back, held the chess piece in his hand, and said in a positive voice: "You ordered Qiufang to enter the WTO?" Why did I send him up the mountain? Brother! Although you have vowed not to go down the mountain, you have also promised me not to let the autumn boat enter the WTO! Is there anything you can't ask someone else in the door to do for you? ”

Zhou Zong's tone was a little excited, Fang Cai's hippie smiling face had been replaced by a strong face, and his face, which was already full of blood, turned red under the reflection of the candle flame.

The Taoist was unmoved when he heard this, he still sat quietly, and his thin cheeks became even colder after Zhou Zong mentioned the oath. He didn't say anything for a long time, but he just watched the situation in the plate and thought of a good way to break the situation. After Zhou Zong calmed down a little, he slowly spoke: "This time is different from the past. After that, he paused for a moment and continued, "The tin rod can open a dangerous road, and the sword can kill all the injustices." Do you remember that? ”

"Thirty years ago, Master took you and me to Puyun Temple to discuss with Master Songyun, talking about the style of our generation, Master Songyun said this at that time." Zhou Zong also paused, still holding the black fall, "Senior brother, my generation really shouldn't stick to the rules, you and I are definitely not people who draw the ground as a prison." If you don't want to say much about this trip, I won't ask. However, he has never joined the WTO and should not join the WTO. This... Think again. ”

"How did you send the autumn boat up the mountain sixteen years ago?" The Taoist asked again. He was sitting in a precarious position, no longer watching chess, but carrying the dust in his arms, holding the yin and yang in his hands, and pinching out the posture of Tai Chi.

Although this senior brother does not smile on weekdays, it is no different from the cold color in front of him, but Zhou Zong knows that the matter of Qiufang going down the mountain is not trivial, since this senior brother has spoken, even if he has made up his mind, he does not dare to be more disobedient, knowing that people will not forget how Qiufang went up the mountain no matter what, so he has to follow what he says.

"Sixteen years ago, it was also an autumn night, I received an edict from Renjun in the Luocheng Mansion, asking me to lead all the junior brothers and sisters to rush to the imperial city immediately to save the eighth prince's family, I didn't dare to slack off, and rushed to the imperial city without sleep."

When Zhou Zong said this, his eyes oozed a bit of confusion and pain, he sprinkled all the chess pieces in his hand on the table, and sighed: "But after all, it is a step too late, and the Eighth Prince's Mansion has already turned into a sea of blood." Qiu Fang was only a full-term baby at that time, and the fourth child pulled him out of the pile of dead people, and after meeting Renjun, he sent him up the mountain to you overnight. ”

"Why do you have to ask you to come from far away to save the fire?" The Taoist asked again.

Zhou Zong glanced at the kitchen, as if he was worried about something, lowered his voice and continued to answer: "I don't know, when I met Renjun, he didn't say a word about the reason for this matter, only said that he wanted me to send the child Qiufang up the mountain to you, and promised not to let him go down the mountain in this life. ”

"Do you remember why I made an exception to keep him?" The Taoist lowered his head and said, his hand gently twisting out the sand in the dust.

"The good man is the way, and the senior brother has a good heart." Zhou Zong saw that the Taoist was reluctant to ask, and he was a little tired, so he prevaricated.

The Taoist frowned, and didn't speak, just glared at Zhou Zong.

"You said that this child has no princely appearance, and he has a relationship with the Tao." Zhou Zong didn't argue, but just repeated the words of the Taoist back then. After that, he sighed lightly, "Senior brother, why do you hold on to this old thing? ”

"The good are self-prospering, the evil are sick, and the evil things are all out of the body. It's not me who is holding on, it's fate. After saying that, he stood up, shook off the dust, and walked slowly to the window.

"Don't you want Qiufang to go down the mountain to find out the bloody case?" Zhou Zong suddenly asked in disbelief.

The Taoist neither nodded nor shook his head, but also sighed slowly: "The number of lives is like weaving." ”

"Senior brother, this has come to this. Although the eighth prince is high and powerful, and he has made meritorious contributions to the country, even the people and kings are unwilling to investigate this matter anymore, so why do you bother to do this? While persuading, Zhou Zong got up and walked to the window to stand side by side with the Taoist.

"I promised you not to let this boy go down the mountain. However, just five days ago, someone went up the mountain. After the Taoist finished speaking, he paused for a moment, and then said, "This person is not weak, he directly attacked me and Qiu Fang, although I was repelled in the end, but I obviously felt that this person hid his strength, as if he was afraid that I would find out his identity." There was also a little doubt in the Taoist's voice, as if he was still thinking about who it was.

When Zhou Zong heard this, he narrowed his eyes, and after pondering for a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, and said in a loud voice: "Five days ago, wasn't it exactly sixteen years after the destruction of the Eighth Prince?" ”

The Taoist glanced at the kitchen, nodded again, and said: "Earlier, I had a hexagram, and I counted Qiufang's life as having this calamity, he has been practicing with me for more than ten years, and his Taoism is more than enough to save his life in the earthly world, so he should be allowed to take a look." ”

"Then how do you find out about this?"

"No, I can't tell you."

"Could it be that you can't trust me, senior brother?"

"I just don't even know about it. And by the autumn boat to follow the fate, you will have to help more in the future, this child has never set foot in the world. Today you will stay first, and tomorrow you will go down the mountain with the autumn boat. As soon as the Taoist spoke, he turned around and sat down, pinching a white seed again, with a somewhat light and breezy look, as if they were talking about what to eat for a while.

"In the end, the master is partial to you, or how to say that you want me to manage mundane affairs and let you concentrate on cultivating, this is good, I will do all the troublesome things, you just sit in command, give orders, and don't even move your buttocks." Zhou Zong saw that the matter had come to this point, and he had no intention of fighting again, so he had to complain.

"Saving others before self, cultivating the Tao before cultivating the mind, this is a hundred times more difficult than mundane affairs."

"I only know that Senior Brother, you are over sixty years old, but you are idle and content. And I'm worried about mundane things, it's your junior brother, it looks like a senior brother. Zhou Zong was a little angry, and his words became exaggerated.

The Taoist was too lazy to take care of him, just looked at him left and right, turned his head slightly and shouted in the direction of the kitchen: "Qiufang, come out when the meal is ready, and explain a few things to the teacher." ”

A childish voice answered the sentence, but it didn't make a sound.

At this time, Zhou Zong squinted his eyes and looked out the window, muttered thoughtfully for a while, and muttered, "How high do you say this mountain is to trap you." ”

The Taoist also followed his gaze, and he rarely showed half a smile. Immediately, he shook the dust again, shook his head slightly, and said: "Greed, hatred, and evil, a mountain is higher than a mountain." ”