Breakfast is a freshly cooked spicy soup with fritters on the bench at the mouth of the alley.

The oil and salt are heavy, and there are slices of chili peppers floating in the bowl, which is not a wonderful taste. Xun Qing was originally worried that Li Bai would not be used to it, but he didn't expect Li Bai to move into blocks and solve the problem of dividing five by two. It doesn't match his own painting style in white clothes like snow.

Xun Qingcai picked up the bowl and took the first sip, but before he woke up from the headache of the hangover, his hot tongue stuck out.

"Aren't you too hot?"

"It's refreshing for everyone to eat like this, where is it like you, you have to let it cool every time!" The stall owner behind the pot muttered, and added a spoonful to Li Bai and Xun Qing respectively: "What are you busy with, it took so long to come back?" Your aunt thought you had moved away, and she was talking all day long......"

"Where can I go, I still owe rent." Xun Qing scratched his head.

"Have you been there Dao Xuangong?"

"Eat and go."

"Then hurry up and eat, don't keep the old man worried, remember to bring one for us." The stall owner shook his head and gave them two more cakes.

At the end of the day, when Li Bai was about to settle the bill, he was waved out.

"Ah Gou, this child has been withdrawn since he was a child, and this is the first time I have seen him bring his friends back...... Hey, it's a pity it's a man. I'll please. ”

The stall owner shook his head and sighed, the movements in his hands did not stop, and he was busy: "Remember to take care of the business when you look back, boy." ”

"Definitely, help me put more peppers next time!"

Li Bai laughed and waved goodbye.

It wasn't until he got on the rail train in Chang'an City that Li Bai finally remembered, turned around and asked, "Who is Dao Xuangong?" ”

"An elder, after the teacher died, it was all thanks to his support that I was admitted to the organ teacher. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have had a chance to get ahead......"

Xun Qing sighed: "He is very serious, maybe he will be scolded later, you must remember to be respectful, if you want to say that anyone in Chang'an City can help us, I'm afraid he is the only one." ”

"So powerful?" Li Bai was puzzled.

Xun Qing glanced at him: "Among all the organ divisions in Chang'an, he can at least rank in the top ten, what do you say?" ”

"It's amazing!"

Although Li Bai didn't understand very well, he still felt as if he was very powerful, and finally asked: "But why do they call you a dog?" ”

“……”

Xun Qing's expression froze, and his expression became more and more frustrated: "It's all about those bear children, and even the name of Mr. can be written incorrectly, so I wouldn't have taught them to read and write...... Everyone started calling me Gou.

Li Bai thought for a moment, and suddenly suddenly, he nodded in agreement:

"One thing to say, it's really reluctant."

"Hey ......"

If the steepness and weirdness of Chang'an City were to be ranked, then Chongrenfang would definitely be at the top.

As a fang market where the agency workshops gather, there are the most organ divisions in Chang'an City, no matter what time it is, the nobles or the poor machine masters are fiercely competing and fighting here. Whether it's a variety of new civilian institutions or extravagant ingenuity, new types of mechanisms are introduced every day.

And in order to show off his outstanding skills, even the mechanism workshop is strange.

And among them, Dao Xuangong's workshop is definitely the strangest one.

It looks like a huge cube with eight sharp edges, but countless modules are divided from top to bottom, and under the hydraulic power of the underground river, the axis of the entire workshop is rotating all the time, and the huge force pushes countless mechanisms to operate, and even the entire workshop is rotating with it.

When the hot, high-pressure gas in the pipe erupts from the whistle, it bursts into a long, low chirp.

It's as if it's not a cold, dead thing, but something alive.

It has an indescribable vitality.

"This one is beautiful."

Li Bai stood in front of the door, looked up at the countless moving structures, and exclaimed: "This workshop is built in imitation of Chang'an, right?" ”

He thought for a moment, stretched out his hand and pointed straight ahead: "That should be Chongrenfang, the lower part on the right should be where we live, Dali Temple is in the upper right corner, what is the top place?" Why nothing? ”

"That's Weiyang Palace."

An old voice replied, "Ordinary people who dare to watch the forbidden middle school will be beheaded, boy, don't you even have a little awe in your heart?" ”

"It's just a little taller, isn't it?"

Li Bai disagreed: "If you want me to say, it's strange that there are good things that are hidden behind closed doors and not shown to others." ”

"Looks like he's a daring man."

In front of the door, the old man looked coldly at the two uninvited guests.

Xun Qing was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously pulled Li Bai's clothes, asking him not to be presumptuous, and bowed his head respectfully: "Dao Xuangong, I didn't expect to meet ...... by chance."

"It's not a coincidence, it's that I've been waiting for you for a long time."

The old man in black shook his hand and said unhappily.

He sat in an eight-legged machine chair, with rough fingers, gray hair, and a face full of markings, which he did not disguise. If you ignore the mechanism creation around you, it doesn't look like a high-ranking machine master at all, but like a woodcutter chopping wood in the mountains.

No one could have imagined that such a vulgar old man would be Lu Daoxuan, a well-known organ master in Chang'an City!

"Your friend has a good eye...... At least you haven't seen it for so long. ”

The old man glanced critically at the two of them and beckoned to them: "Come with me, I have something to tell you." ”

Xun Qing looked bitter: "You know everything?" ”

"Why didn't I know?" Lu Daoxuan asked rhetorically: "The day before yesterday, you were hung on such a high place, do you think who in the whole Chang'an didn't see you?"

People told me that I thought it was, but it turned out that you were back. How? Is it because the old man tried his best to find a position for you that is not rich enough? ”

"Where." Xun Qing drooped his head, "I just thought about the things in Chang'an, and I felt uneasy, so I worked overtime to finish all the work, and came back quickly, I'm afraid that if it's late, I'm ......"

"I'm afraid that if it's too late, your teacher's workshop will be taken away by Yu Hengsi?" Lu Daoxuan sneered: "You and your teacher are really carved out of the same mold, you look stupid, but you can't learn and won't let go, do you want to repeat his mistakes!" ”

Xun Qing lowered his head and did not speak.

"Sir, you're talking too much."

Li Bai couldn't stand it anymore, ignoring Xun Qing's obstructed gaze, and opened his mouth to argue: "The road is all chosen by yourself, you can't arrange him for a lifetime, right?"

Besides, isn't the mechanism made by his teacher quite powerful, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. ”

"Hey......" Xun Qing pulled his clothes, but Li Bai didn't look back, still looking at the old man in the machine chair.

Wait for a response.

Until the end of the silence, Lu Daoxuan shook his head, but couldn't help but sigh helplessly.

"I was so angry with you hairy boys, the old man is really going back more and more......"

He glanced at Li Bai deeply, turned back to his juniors and said, "I haven't had much success since I was a child, but when I came back this time, I made a good friend." ”

"Huh?" Xun Qing was puzzled.

"Praise you, fool."

Lu Daoxuan didn't bother to talk nonsense, so he drove the agency to walk in front and beckoned them to follow.

Passing through the bustling workshops and countless complex institutions, they came to a fairly separate quiet room. I say it's an ashram because it's really only a little quieter than outside, and I can barely hear the sound of talking.

There was a bed in the corner, and the table was full of drawings.

It looks like the living place of Dao Xuangong, but it is only barely isolated by a few wall panels, and there is an open window, facing the interior of the workshop.

In the middle of the trap, there is also a perfectly circular artificial lake.

A ray of skylight shines down from above with the operation of the mechanism, and falls on the scale of the boulder, which is exactly the same as the sundial in Chang'an.

The water rushed, transported by the mechanism and sent in all directions, intertwined with each other, like blood.

Such a boring scene made Li Bai a little fascinated for a while.

On the contrary, Xun Qing's soul was not guarded, and he didn't notice the essence of the workshop at all, and it was no different from before, and he didn't open his mind.

With someone else's child Zhuyu in front, his own stupid child becomes a headache.

Lu Daoxuan shook his head and sighed lightly.

After so many years, why hasn't anyone grown?

"We'll talk about you later."

The old man glared at Xun Qing, looked in Li Bai's direction, and asked calmly, "Boy, why are you here?" ”

In front of the window, Li Bai finally withdrew his gaze from the lake.

"For the sake of justice."

He said seriously: "Yesterday an innocent child died, and I want to know who did it." ”

"Justice has nothing to do with me, it's something that only exists in Honglu Temple."

The old man shook his head indifferently, "In this world, if you want to live well, sympathy cannot be squandered, and it must be reserved for more important people."

You should also be sober, boy, it's not a big deal to be dead in Chang'an City, every day, every moment...... Do you have to take care of each one? ”

"If you encounter it, of course you have to take care of it, do you cover your eyes and think you can't see it?"

Li Bai did not waver, and replied proudly: "There is a coward who wants to kill me, but he does not dare to face his opponent, but sacrifices an innocent child......

I'm just wondering who did this, sir. ”

"And then? To punish the moment? ”

Lu Daoxuan sneered disdainfully: "I know what you think, Li Bai, right?" You are young, you have a lot of courage and talent, you wear a sword, maybe you are skilled in swordsmanship, so you don't care about anything.

You want to get into trouble, and you feel like everyone else should be like you...... But the old man has a family and a mouth, and there are so many people begging for a living, I can't leave everyone behind to gamble with you. ”

Li Bai frowned, but he didn't say anything more after all.

He sighed, got up and gave up his hand, and was about to turn around to say goodbye, but he heard Xun Qing's trembling voice.

"But, it's a matter of human life, Dao Xuangong!"

There, the mechanic with his head bowed plucked up his courage, "Can you turn a deaf ear and act as if nothing happened?" ”

"It's better than getting caught up in right and wrong!"

The old man was furious: "Do you think it took me a lot of effort to bail you out, can't you just listen once, Xun Qing!" ”

"But I've already been involved, Dao Xuangong!"

Xun Qing's voice sharpened, lost his tone, and pleaded hoarsely, "This is what I brought on myself, so let's take it as if I killed myself." It was my mistake...... If it weren't for me, that kid ...... That kid ......"

"Even if he didn't have you, he would die, Xun Qing, are there still few unsatisfactory places in this world?" Lu Daoxuan scolded angrily: "Don't care about those things that have nothing to do with you!" Why don't you understand? ”

"Then why did the Dao Xuan Guild save me when the accident happened!"

Xun Qing interrupted him angrily: "Wouldn't it be better for me to be burned to death with the teacher for something like me!" There won't be any trouble today! ”

The old man was stunned and fell silent.

It's like, I don't know how to answer.

Stunned.

On the contrary, in the silence, Xun Qing gradually felt guilty, and after a moment of anger, he realized what he had said.

"I'm sorry, Dao Xuangong, I just ...... I just can't forgive myself......" The immature organ master drooped his head, got up, and apologized in frustration: "Dao Xuangong, you have helped me so much, but it is me, I shouldn't have brought trouble here." ”

"Do you have to be obsessed, Xun Qing." The old man shook his head in disappointment, "You are already a mechanic, and you are a person with your own future."

I finally got up in the mud pond, why do I have to go back to the mud pond? ”

Xun Qing shook his head and laughed at himself: "Dao Xuangong, if a person like me is not lucky, with a teacher, and with your help, how can he be successful?"

I was no different from that kid, we were all grass mustard in a mud pond. ”

Xun Qing bowed his head and said goodbye deeply, "I'm sorry, Dao Xuangong, if I can't repay him justice, I won't be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life." ”

In the silence, he heard the old man's voice.

"Wang Che'er."

On top of the machine chair, the old man sighed tiredly and said a name.

Xun Qing was stunned and puzzled.

"Wang Che'er, a human snake who abducts children in Changle Fang."

He ignored Xun Qing, but said to the silent Li Bai: "The begging children are all under his control, if you want to find any clues, go to him to find them."

That's all I can help you with. ”

I didn't expect this such stubborn old man to choose to lend a hand, Li Bai clenched his fists respectfully: "Thank you Dao Xuangong." ”

"Ha, don't call me old gentleman now?"

Lu Daoxuan shook his head, smiled self-deprecatingly, didn't say anything, just waved his hand: "Let's go, I want to be quiet." ”

But when they left, they couldn't help but raise their heads and shouted to Xun Qing.

Xun Qing turned around and saw Lu Daoxuan's old face.

"Ah Qing...... People are inevitably stupid when they live, especially young people. ”

The old man looked at him with anticipation: "There is nothing in this world that cannot be passed, if, I mean, if you regret it, remember to come back." No matter how bad it is here, there will be a bite of food for you. ”

Xun Qing was stunned, only felt the tip of his nose hot, and nodded vigorously.

"Thank you Dao Xuangong, I can save it."

After finishing speaking, he didn't dare to stay any longer, and left as if he had run away, just afraid that he would cry.

Silence returned to the ashram, except for the never-ending roar of the workshop in the distance.

The old man closed his eyes in loneliness.

Silent sighs.

After leaving the workshop, Xun Qing kept his head hanging and listless.

Just thinking of the presumptuous words he had just said to Dao Xuangong, he couldn't help but blame himself, why would he be shameless and say such embarrassing words.

If it weren't for him, he would have been burned to death in the workshop...... Where would we be today?

"You were very good just now."

Li Bai suddenly said, "I didn't expect you to be able to say such a thing." ”

He was holding the sugar and fried chestnuts that he didn't know where to buy, and he was full of crumbs, and he didn't seem to be sincere, which made people even more depressed.

"What's awesome?" Xun Qing sighed helplessly, "It's just that I don't have a mouth, I must have made Dao Xuangong sad again." ”

"That's not right, Xun Qing."

Li Bai shook his head with a solemn expression: "Sometimes, when people can say what is in their hearts, it is great courage." ”

"Is there any use in this courage?"

"Of course."

Li Bai, who was walking in front, paused slightly, slowly turned his head, his expression was so solemn, and his eyes became sharp: "Xun Qing, do you know why I hate people to lie?" ”

Xun Qing looked up in amazement.

"Because lies are false, like mold on a painting, a failure in a poem."

Li Bai said softly: "Only when you can't face your own life can you go back and cover up your mistakes with clever words." But no matter how good a lie is, it is nothing but self-deception.

It may be able to get temporary comfort, but in the end, it will only harm others and yourself - Xun Qing, if you don't say anything, others will not know what you want, and in the end, you will start lying.

If nothing is done, there will be no such thing as a future, and people will be willing to fall and even make up a lot of things that sound very reasonable to deceive themselves.

I have seen such people countless times in the clouds, in Xuanyong, in many places. ”

"I hate people like that," he said. ”

Xun Qing was stunned in place.

"Although it is indeed a little embarrassing, I still think I should congratulate you, Xun Qing."

The young man stretched out his hand, patted Xun Qing on the shoulder, and told him seriously: "If there is a path of destiny in this world, then you have already taken the first step!"

Because you have the courage to make a choice. ”

“…… I believe you're a ghost! ”

Xun Qing glanced at him, only to feel that this guy was really full of nonsense. But for some reason, I felt a little more comfortable.

Seeing that he was eating so sweetly, he suddenly became angry, snatched half a bag with his hand, and viciously stuffed two into his mouth.

Anyway, they're all on the thief ship, so let's eat first!

Then, when it was time for dinner, Xun Qing looked at the dazzling array of dishes in front of him, touched his stomach stuffed with sugar-fried chestnuts, and shed tears of grief and indignation.

Can't eat......

When Li Bai swept away all the things on the table, and also brought two pots of good wine, humming songs all the way, and when he and Xun Qing arrived at the place, Xun Qing sadly found that he was hungry again.

In the silent long night, his stomach rumbled, attracting Li Bai's attention, and the kind of eyes that seemed to be looking at pig essence made his tears almost fall.

Soon, however, a cold paper bag was handed to him, filled with food.

"Eat?" Li Bai said with concern: "I also left some for you." ”

Xun Qing looked at it, couldn't hold back, and almost cried out.

How are the sugar fried chestnuts again!

He had never hated chestnuts so much, but his hand was stretched out unevenly and he took it with tears.

"I eat ......"

He wants to destroy this abominable source of all evil for Chang'an!