Sword comes

Chapter 501 There are some truths that make sense

At the end of winter, the sky was cold and blue, the mountains were frozen and there were no clouds. Chen Ping looked around, and as far as he could see, there was silence.

This is the color of the world. On the ferry of the fairy family, overlooking the thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, there is absolutely no such feeling.Therefore, practicing on the mountain is even more ignorant of the cold and heat of the world.

The trekking stick in Chen Ping's hand that was refined with the Bi You Gong Xian Jue showed a green color, making this thunder pool vein more like the material of a bamboo whip, otherwise the golden color would be too conspicuous, but as long as one restriction is removed, this stick belongs to the small alchemy for the time being. The rough embryo of the ghost whip can be restored to its original appearance.

Beiju Luzhou has one advantage. As long as you can speak Yizhou dialect, you don’t have to worry about chickens talking to ducks. There are countless official languages ​​and local dialects in Aquarius Island and Tongye Island. Traveling around will be very troublesome.

Chen Pingan walked to the foot of the mountain, there was still no one around, and he gently picked up a Yang Qi Lantern Talisman, and the burning speed was normal, which meant that there was less possibility of demons haunting the county town, and it was very likely that it was a golden elixir. The second situation Song Lanqiao mentioned is that a certain mountain and water god around the county city has come to catastrophe, and the golden body is about to collapse, which affects the feng shui of the place, and natural disasters follow the trend.

It's just that there are no absolutes, Chen Pingan intends to take a step at a time, holding a talisman, and walking slowly until he meets a bullock cart full of charcoal, a strong man in shabby clothes, with a pair of hands covered with Children with chilblains went to the county together. Only then did Chen Pingan extinguish the talisman and walked quickly. The eyes of the two children were full of curiosity. It was just that the country children were shy, so they shrank towards their father. The man saw the young man with a box and a stick, and said nothing.

The winter is cold, the dirt road is hard, the ox cart is bumpy, and the men are more and more afraid to pull the ox too fast. Once the charcoal is broken, the price will not be high. The rich men in the city, big and small, have vicious eyes. The words that are the most provocative and ruthlessly kill the price are even more chilling than the cold wind that has nowhere to hide.It's just that this slowness will cause the two children to suffer from the cold together. This makes the man feel a little depressed. I told them not to join in the fun. There is nothing to see in the city, but the stone lion at the gate of the house looks scary. The painted door gods are bigger, and it's okay to see too much. If this car of charcoal is really sold for a good price, I will bring them back some broken mouths to eat, and there will be no less purchases for the New Year.

The outline of the high wall of the county can be vaguely seen, and the man breathed a sigh of relief. The city is lively, full of people, and warmer than outside the city. As long as the two children are happy, they probably forget about whether it is cold or not.

It's just that the young man in the bamboo hat walked neither fast nor slow, just following behind the ox cart, which made the man a little worried.

Chen Pingan quickened his pace a little, and asked with a smile, "Brother, I am a foreigner who came from a long way away. I don't know what the name of this county is, and there are places worth visiting."

The man is a boring gourd, but he didn't dare to pretend to be deaf and dumb, so he pulled out a smiling face and said in a hoarse voice: "Returning to the master, the front is called Suijiacheng. It is said that the emperor was walking south and accidentally caught wind and cold. He stayed for a while , so it was given such a name. I only know the Town God’s Temple in the north of the city and the Fire God Temple in the south of the city, where there are the most people on weekdays, the master can go and have a look.”

"Okay, then when I enter the city, I will go to these two places."

Chen Ping nodded with a smile, stretched out his hand and lightly pressed the bullock cart, "It just happened to be on the way, I'm not in a hurry, let's go into the city together, and ask my elder brother more about the things in the city by the way."

Although the man looked nervous, but when he looked up, the ox cart was getting closer and closer to the gate of Suijia City, and he felt that nothing could go wrong. Say something nice: "Then I'll just say what I know. It's best if I can help the master a little bit. I haven't read a book, and I can't speak. If I say something wrong, the master will take care of you."

Chen Pingan held a trekking stick in one hand and supported the ox cart in the other, and said, "It's a good feeling, brother, just open up and say it."

Under the introduction of what the man thought and said, Chen Pingan learned that this driving city is in Yinping country, not a small city, and there was a prime minister in history, so the Kuixing Tower on the side of the Town God's Temple is full of incense, and the Fire God Temple It is also noisy. It is said that asking for money is very effective. Rich people who do big business in the city like to go there to burn incense, so the man just pulls an ox cart to the market near the Fire Temple and sells a cart of charcoal. I bought New Year's goods directly at a nearby shop and went home.

The two children had been secretly looking at Chen Pingan, but as soon as Chen Pingan smiled at them, they turned their heads immediately, a little embarrassed.

Before he knew it, the bullock cart arrived at the city gate. Since it was still early, he had to line up to enter the city. There were some early stalls nearby. Chen Pingan bought a bowl of millet porridge and a rolled pancake, took off his bamboo hat, and sat at the table to eat. Getting up, the two children not far away swallowed their saliva. The man hesitated, took out a small handful of copper coins and handed them to his daughter. After getting the money, the two children ran to the stall happily, and also bought a bowl of millet porridge and a The burrito smelled like eggs. The daughter took the burrito to her father. The man just took a bite, then tore the remaining burrito in half and gave it back to the daughter. The little girl ran back to the table and handed it to her father. Give the younger brother half, and then the siblings eat the bowl of porridge together. The man guards the ox cart, wipes his mouth, and grins.

The business of the stall was good, and the two children were sitting opposite Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan was used to eating slowly while thinking about things.

In the previous trip to the Ghost and Mythical Valley, the intrigue with the scholar, and the battle with the golden eagles of Jixiao Mountain were actually not very dangerous.

But the journey between Tongqi City and Qinglu Town, or to be precise, from the Pimazong cross-continental ferry, to the sword fairy breaking the sky and escaping to Muyi Mountain, Chen Pingan still has some palpitations. Several times of replaying the chess game, I feel that life and death are at stake, but when I think about the final harvest, it is full, the fairy money is not less, the rare objects are not less, there is nothing to complain about, the only regret is that there are fewer fights. It's not itchy, it's not even as good as the feeding boxing of Luobashanzhulou, it's not enough fun, if the monster of Jixiao Mountain joins forces with the great sage who moved the mountain, assuming there is no high inheritance, this kind of heroic spirit of the upper five realms is secretly coveting in the north, maybe It will be a little more relaxed.

After that, he recuperated in Muyishan mansion, and learned a lot of new things about Beiju Luzhou through a stack of Xianjia mansion newspapers that he asked someone to bring to read.

The most unexpected one is of course Huang Ting, the female champion of Taiping Mountain. In the life-and-death battle of Dili Mountain, she lost to the young handsome man named Liu Jinglong on the mountain. You must know that Huang Ting came to Beiju Luzhou to break the bottleneck of Yuanying. Although she is a new Yuanying, there is no doubt that Huang Ting's swordsmanship is high, and above Liu Jinglong, who is roughly the same age and cultivation level as Huang Ting, there are still two people with strong cultivation bases, talents, and fortune backgrounds. The more outstanding "young monks", as for the seven favored sons of heaven after Liu Jinglong, Chen Pingan did not dare to underestimate Yang Ningxing's wrist and heart in Yunxiao Palace.

In addition to this, there is another place in Dili Mountain, which Chen Ping'an is very curious about.

There is a mountain outside the mountain, the Dili Mountain where wars continue, and there is a Baiquan Mountain that is most suitable for watching battles. There are more than a hundred spiritual springs on the mountain, full of aura. Among the green mountains and green waters, the courtyard is deep, the scenery is pleasant, and it is a place of first-class practice. These Baiquanshan mansions are only for rent and not for sale. Long-term leases are possible, but the longer the term, the more expensive it will be.

Relying on this long-term business with a lot of money, the Qionglin Sect, who has made a lot of money, insisted on using the gods' money to pile up a half-baked Jade Realm to enshrine, and the sect was able to obtain the suffix of the Zong word.

This sect is in Beiju Luzhou, and its reputation has not been very good. It only recognizes money and never talks about friendship, but it does not delay the family's daily progress.

Therefore, the Qionglin sect not only made the monks envious, but also despised the people on the mountain. There is a well-known ironic saying spread all over the north and south: the embroidered pillow is on the five realms, and the Qionglin sect is cool with two sleeves.

Chen Pingan put down his chopsticks and looked towards the city gate. There were horseshoes in the distance in the city, and they smashed to the ground. It should be a battle of eight tall horses. They went out of the city together. Instead, one by one rode their horses and swung their whips, making the gate of the city noisy and noisy, and the people who came in and out of the city were sticking to the wall to avoid it. Inside, he approached the roads on both sides in a hurry and unhurriedly, and instantly gave way to an empty and spacious road.

This happens everywhere.

That group of young men in fresh clothes and furious horses galloped out of the city one by one on their horsebacks. A series of hurried horseshoes were like a string of firecrackers. Those rich and powerful children with haughty looks skillfully rode their horses and roared past. , holding a splendid horsewhip, holding a bow on the back of a knife, and a slave servant carrying an eagle cage, what a chasing wind and lightning He Xiongzai.

However, Chen Ping's attention was more focused on the two young men sitting on a stall in the distance, a man and a woman, dressed in simple but clean clothes, both carrying long swords, their appearances were not outstanding, but they had a certain bearing, they They each ate a bowl of wonton, with indifferent expressions on their faces. When the man saw the group of riding horses galloping wildly, he frowned. The woman put down her chopsticks and shook her head slightly at the man.

Chen Pingan knew it in his heart.

It should be a person in the cultivation who came rushing to follow the vision of driving the city.

It's just that the young men and women's cultivation bases are not high. Chen Ping'an saw the subtle signs of the flow of his aura, and it was two Qi practitioners who had not entered the cave. Although they carried swords on their backs, they were definitely not sword cultivators.

When the woman with the sword turned her head and looked around, she saw only a young man paying the bill with the stall owner, holding a bamboo whip hat and a green bamboo walking stick. The man's expression was as usual, and his aura was ordinary, just like those rangers who roamed the rivers and lakes , the woman sighed, if the people from the rivers and lakes who bumped into this driving city unintentionally, their luck is not good, if they are the same as them, they came here specifically for the imminent disaster of the driving city and the birth of strange treasures at the same time , That's really ignorant, don't you know that the rare treasure has already been internally ordered by the two great immortal families of Yinping Kingdom, and no one else would dare to touch it, such as her and the fellow junior beside her, in addition to completing the secret orders of the master, it is more important to do it. A crisis-ridden experience.

This is a true fight between immortals, ordinary masters, if they interfere a little, if they accidentally block the way of any great immortal master, they will end up being turned into powder.

The woman's thoughts are wandering.

She herself is already regarded as a leading monk among the younger generation of Yinping Kingdom, but compared with those two, she knows that there is a big difference. A girl in her early 15s has more chances, a smooth journey to practice, and a lot of treasures to accompany her. If the two top sects were not sworn enemies, they would be a couple made in heaven.

The borders of more than a dozen countries, up and down the mountains, seem to be watching the growth and rivalry of the two of them.

Every encounter between them will be a beautiful story that people will talk about.

She would actually be envious.

Because that precocious young man who was destined to attract attention from birth was indeed born with the skin of a banished fairy, with a gentle temperament, and he was proficient in all kinds of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. vulgar boy

When the young man saw his senior sister in a daze, he thought it was worrying about the next trip, and he said comfortingly: "Senior sister, if we are not sure, we will find the child and leave, regardless of this inevitable disaster. Master said, We cultivators must know that fate follows the circumstances, and since Suijiacheng has enjoyed the blessing of the gods for hundreds of years, it should suffer from this predestined natural disaster."

The woman nodded, and then reminded: "Be careful that the walls have ears."

The man smiled and said: "If it is said that fish and dragons are mixed together in the city, and strange people gather, I believe it, but I don't believe that you can meet outsiders at the gate of the city. We are not small sects anymore. Fairy little fairy teacher, which one is not a familiar face? Is the monkey tricker a hidden fairy or the young ranger wearing a bamboo hat is actually a great master of the rivers and lakes?"

The woman's face changed slightly, "Have you forgotten the teacher's teaching, travel down the mountain, be careful in your words and deeds"

As she said so, the woman quickly glanced at the old man squatting on his shoulders and the young man who walked near a bullock cart, and then her heart was shocked. The latter was fine and still ignorant of the offensive words of her junior brother , but the old man who was reaching out to feed the little monkey on his shoulder turned his head to look at her, twitching the corners of his mouth with a bad expression.The woman stood up and cupped her fists to apologize.

The old man didn't appreciate it very much, his gaze was vacillating, he sized her up from head to toe, then sneered at the corner of his mouth, and didn't look any further, as if he disliked her beauty and figure.

The woman didn't care too much, but her senior brother almost exploded with anger. How dare this old bastard humiliate him so much? He was about to take a step forward, but the senior sister gently grabbed her sleeve and shook her head at him. "It was us who were rude first."

The young man took a hard look at the old monkey-playing old man, kept his face firmly in his heart, and entered the driving city. At that time, the treasure hunt will kick off. The forces of all parties will be entangled, and there will be chaos. If this old bastard can't eat, he will walk around.

In fact, Chen Pingan took all this into his eyes, and felt a little bit emotional. The two parties who ended up feuding for no reason had really bad tempers.

In fact, the dozens of countries around Yinping Country are barren lands with weak aura and unsuitable for cultivation. Most of them are warriors in the rivers and lakes. Song Lanqiao from the ferry in Chunlupu said that the Qi practitioners here are just a group of frogs at the bottom of the well, who like to lie down in small ponds. Li Heng, the real Taoist monks outside don't care about petty profits, and the monks inside are also happy not to cross the river to make trouble, close the door to do their best, and the two realms headed by two deadly rival sects are poor The Jindan monks in the city each lead a group of young people to fight back and forth. It is said that they have been fighting for hundreds of years.

However, Song Lanqiao said it lightly and casually, and Chen Pingan was still used to walking the rivers and lakes cautiously, sailing with care.

The monks on the mountain have thousands of strange spells. Once they fight, the level of the realm, and even the rank of the magic weapon are all uncertain.

After entering the city, in order to prevent the charcoal seller from mistakenly thinking that he had something wrong with him, Chen Pingan didn't follow him to the Huoshen Temple market, but went to the Town God's Temple first.

In fact, Chen Pingan could tell that the man was a pure martial artist, about four realms. After seeing his figure, the man purposely breathed turbidly and his steps became frivolous. A good warrior of the Three Realms, he should have a little fame. As for why he became a woodcutter and charcoal seller in the countryside, earning hard money with his family, he must have his own story.These Chen Pingan will not explore, Zi Feiyu An knows the joy of fish.

After the two parties parted ways.

The man was leading the ox cart, and the two children were still carefree, looking around, the man smiled, turned his head to look at the back of the young ranger, and said to himself: "I don't even care if I'm a quack." It can be seen that they should be the youngsters of the second and third realms, alas, why did they come to this muddy water, those gods who practiced immortality on the mountain, aren't they just like dragons, if they shake their tails casually, they will How many people were drowned"

Chen Pingan smiled.

The man was kind-hearted, so he deliberately mentioned more, saying that there are more places worth seeing in the Lingbao City in the north.It should be because he wanted to let himself leave the city of right and wrong earlier.

Coincidentally, the monkey-playing old man and the young sword-wielding man and woman were all on the same road, and they went to the Town God's Temple first, just like Chen Ping'an.

Chen Pingan deliberately slowed down his pace, distanced himself from them, and stopped at a calligraphy and painting shop on the way. He looked at the fragrant calligraphy and painting in the shop. He didn't buy calligraphy and painting, but spent a few taels of silver. The booklet used as a supplementary gift is dedicated to introducing the famous works of Danqing masters from all dynasties and generations in the Yinping Kingdom.

After putting in the bamboo box and leaving the shop, the elderly and men and women were no longer seen.

After approaching the Town God's Temple, Chen Ping'an's face was a little dignified, and the incense was curling up. On the street outside the Town God's Temple, he could smell the unique smell of the incense. It doesn't matter, but in the word "jingchun", it doesn't matter whether it is an orthodox temple conferred by the imperial court, or an obscene temple built by ordinary people or ghosts without authorization, it all depends on how many catties and taels of the essence of the incense.After Chen Ping'an looked intently, he saw this majestic and large-scale Town God's Temple, lingering with incense, as if being detained by the City God with a secret method, and did not leak it at all. This is an act of arrogance. Temples, deities of mountains and rivers, Chenghuang Temple and Wenwu Temple all feed back the mountains and rivers of a place, and part of the essence of incense will be stripped and scattered into the surrounding world, so as to benefit and protect the common people in the dark, and this can form a cycle. It's not like this Town God's Temple in front of me, which is watertight and keeps everything in my own pocket.

Chen Pingan sighed softly. In fact, it is understandable. This is the self-help act of the golden god in the temple to hang himself. He has no other considerations at the moment.

Chen Pingan did not enter the City God's Temple, which guards the city according to the duties of the law. Although the charcoal seller didn't say it very clearly, he came here to worship the gods and pray sincerely, so he worshiped the front and rear halls. Master Immortal, Chen Pingan understood roughly that the regulations of this city god's temple are similar to those of other places. In addition to the front and rear halls and the Kuixing Tower, there are also the Temple of the God of Wealth and the Hall of Yuanchen built according to local folk preferences. wait.However, Chen Pingan still asked the old shopkeeper of an incense shop outside the Town God's Temple. The old shopkeeper was very enthusiastic and talkative, and he told the origin of the Town God's Temple. , was a meritorious figure who was famous in the history of a great dynasty in the early years. The golden body of this heroic spirit is naturally elsewhere. A famous civil servant, he is the third-rank Marquis conferred by the emperor of Yinping Kingdom.

When talking about this order, the old shopkeeper asked with a smile: "Young man, do you not understand why you are only a third-rank marquis, and this civil servant was a second-rank minister before his death?"

Chen Ping smiled and said: "It's a little strange, I was just about to ask the old shopkeeper, there is an explanation"

If it is said that the rules of many temples in Haoran Tianxia are strict, Chen Ping'an has already figured it out.It's just that if you want to do as the Romans do, how to follow the law, naturally you should ask the Romans first.

The old shopkeeper smiled and said nothing.

Chen Pingan hurriedly bought a tube of incense from the incense shop.

on the road.

The old shopkeeper laughed, and then he started to talk about the inside knowledge, "Young people look like they are messing around, so they don't know this officialdom, it's normal, the titles and official ranks in the officialdom are not the same , not to mention the ranks of these gods who are enshrined by incense, they are not the same, why, I am confused."

Chen Pingan nodded and said with a smile, "It's a bit complicated."

The old shopkeeper began to show off his knowledge, shaking his head and saying: "Our city god, in the hands of the founding emperor, was actually a fourth-rank uncle, but the incense has always been efficacious. After the new emperor ascended the throne a few years ago, An imperial decree was issued to posthumously present our City God as a third-rank Lord Marquis. At that time, there was a lot of pomp and circumstance. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites left Beijing in person. Such a big official brought the imperial decree to our accompanying city. After entering the city, Another auspicious day was picked. Did you see the street outside the shop? Before dawn that day, there was a large team of yamen servants who sprinkled water and cleaned it from the beginning to the end. Outsiders were not allowed to watch. I just wanted to watch the excitement. I just slept in the shop all night, and only then was I able to see the Master Shangshu, tsk tsk, it really deserves to be a Wenqu star descending to earth, even if we look at it from a distance, we feel extravagant."

The old shopkeeper was triumphant, "This is just a county town, but the treatment of my own town god in front is already equivalent to that of the state town god, except for the capital town god's temple in the capital city and the capital town god's temple, there is no change in the order. It’s high. Young man, so you invite incense, and you must worship more and kowtow more when you go to the temple. Although this Chenghuang Temple has always been used by scholars to pray for literary luck, our Chenghuang Lord has a high official position and great ability. If you think about it, you only need to If you are more sincere, you will protect one or two."

Chen Pingan asked some civil and military officials in the Temple of the City God, and sure enough, there were still two judges, the Sixth Division of the City God, two Gods of Day and Night, and one General of Shackles.These officials who assist the City God have their own backgrounds. The old shopkeeper is very familiar and speaks well. However, when Chen Pingan asked if he had ever seen the City God appear, the old shopkeeper was a little speechless. , with an unnatural expression on his face, he replied that we ordinary people, how could we see the real body of the City God, even if we stood in front of our eyes, we would not recognize him.

Chen Ping said with a smile: "It should be so. The old saying says that real people are not real people if they don't show their faces. Presumably these gods are even more so."

The old shopkeeper's complexion improved.

The etiquette system of the City God of Yinping Country is roughly the same as that of Aquarius Island, but there are still some discrepancies. There are differences in the two matters of rank and consecration.

However, the posthumous title of the current emperor of Yinping Kingdom is a bit unusual, probably because he noticed the abnormality of the golden body of the city god here, so that he did not hesitate to order a county town god to leapfrog the rank.

After Chen Pingan left the incense shop, he stood on the bustling street and looked at the Temple of the City God.

I would rather sleep in a tomb than a ruined temple.

That's why.

Once the aura of the world's mountains and rivers changes, it is easy to lead to a situation where blessings and misfortunes are reversed.

Chen Pingan walked towards the Fire God Temple. The atmosphere of the Town God's Temple has not yet shown signs of disintegration, and it should last for a while.

On the other side of the Fire God Temple, the incense is also at its peak, but compared to the chaos in the Town God's Temple, the incense here is more clear and stable, and the gatherings and dispersal are orderly.

But he also didn't step into it. He can suppress the strange things on his body with his fist now, but after setting foot in the temple, whether it will attract unnecessary attention, Chen Ping'an is not sure, if it is not for this trip to the southeast of Luzhou in Beiju The trip was too hasty. According to Chen Ping'an's original plan, after visiting the swaying river water temple on the bone beach, he would visit several large temples of the secular dynasty and inspect it himself.After all, it is similar to the Yaohe River Temple. The owner is a mountain and water god who is a neighbor of the Pima Sect. He has a high vision and burns incense himself. God, did not show up in the temple, but played the role of a boatman, wanting to instruct himself kindly.

Chen Pingan wandered around the incense shop near the Fire God Temple again, and asked about the roots of the god.

One thing is similar to the old treasurer of Chenghuang Temple. This god who sits in the south of the city has never really appeared in the market. According to legend, there are more deeds than the Chenghuang Lord in the north of the city, and he sounds closer than the Chenghuang Lord. The common people are mostly unofficial histories of rewarding good and punishing evil, and playing with the world, and the history is long, and it is only passed down from generation to generation, so it will be circulated in the mouths of future generations. There is a rumor that this master of the Fire God Temple, There used to be some festivals with the "hu lord" of Cangyun Lake, which was constantly flooded [-] miles away, because under the jurisdiction of Cangyun Lake, there was a wife of the owner of the Narcissus Temple, who once annoyed the master of the Fire God Temple, and the two sides fought , the owner of the Daxi Canal was not an opponent, so he sent reinforcements to Lord Hu. As for the final result, it was an unnamed passer-by sword fairy who persuaded the two gods, so that Lord Hu did not use his magical powers. Flood Suijia City.

Chen Pingan thought for a while, then left Suijia City directly, chose a mountain path directly, and secretly went to the Narcissus Temple under the jurisdiction of Cangyun Lake. If Po's deity is really still there, then you can make insinuations to see if you can learn the inside story of the City of Suits.If it is really a disaster that affects a whole city, it still needs to be dealt with.If the gods in a small place are fighting, then watch it.

In the night, Chen Pingan came to a temple along a wide stream. The road was overgrown with weeds and sparsely populated. It can be seen that the incense of the canal owner's wife had withered.

And this ancestral temple is actually only a few dozen miles away from Shijing Town.

However, Chen Pingan had seen a group of people walking towards the temple holding torches on a hilltop at the intersection of streams and lakes.

Chen Pingan followed them all the way, listening to their exchange of words, he couldn't laugh or cry, these full-fledged market youths, young and strong, actually came to compete with each other to see who entered the temple, dare to go Molested the wife of his master.This kind of thing is actually common in the city and the countryside. It happened in the small town of Chen Ping'an's hometown. If there is any child who dares to sleep in the fairy grave, then he is an indomitable hero, Xinghua There used to be a man of the same age in Lane who claimed that he lay down in the Immortal Tomb for one night, but ended up under the old locust tree. He became a king of children in Xinghua Lane. In the following years, he took pleasure in bullying Chen Pingan and Song Jixin, the neighbors in Niping Lane. Of course, he wanted to let that name The eccentric Zhigui played his little daughter-in-law, but it was a pity that Song Jixin scolded him endlessly. Zhigui always had a straight face and indifferent eyes, and ran back to the town with Song Jixin, while that peer Take the follower behind and throw mud at them, the master and servant.

In fact, that night, Chen Pingan happened to go there to worship the Bodhisattva, and saw that peer from a distance, but he just wandered a few steps outside the fairy grave, and then rushed home.

When Chen Pingan saw that group of seven or eight people tonight, he didn't want to treat him badly, so he brought enough wine and meat.When these people entered the Narcissus Temple, which only entered the courtyard twice, the plaque was tilted, the temple had been abandoned for a long time, and it was dilapidated, and the walls were covered with green scallops. Chen Pingan was sitting in the distance outside the temple. On a big tree with a wide field of vision, Chen Pingan put his trekking stick across his knees, covered his sleeves with his hands, raised his eyes and watched the changes.

Chen Pingan took out the dry food, took off the Yangjian gourd filled with the deep stream water of Baojing Mountain, and began to eat supper. This trip was not just a leisurely stroll.

Inside the small ancestral temple, several piles of bonfires have already been lit, drinking and eating meat, having a good time, and talking dirty.

Enshrine one

There are three tall statues, two short ones, originally painted statues of gods, but the paint has peeled off due to the ruthlessness of the years. In the center is the wife of the canal master, and the left and right should be the accompanying maids.

All three of them have the same eyebrows and eyes, and they are lifelike, especially the owner of the stream and river, who is slender, with necklaces and beads, and his color is especially beautiful.

Chen Ping glanced at it, a little strange, the three statues didn't look like golden bodies that could hide the divine light.

This is also the luck of those rascals.

Chen Pingan planned to go to Cangyun Lake after eating the dry food, but the lake lord didn't have a temple on the shore, so he had a headache.If it doesn't work, I have to show up and ask those daring guys if there is any water god temple nearby.

Chen Pingan began to close his eyes and meditate, and began to refine the gloomy water from the deep stream of Baojing Mountain.

At the same time, the mind is slowly immersed, and with the method of inner viewing that was introduced on the mountain, the yin spirit travels in his own small world.

The content recorded in some ancient books today can easily confuse the readers of later generations.

For example, Na Gong led the officials and the people, threw a white horse into the sinking, and worshiped He Bo, the god of water.Why it is a white horse, there is no explanation in the book.

As for the sentence that the water god cannot be seen, wait for the big fish and the big flood.It is even more puzzling, in all continents of Haoran, it is not uncommon to see landscape gods and temples with golden bodies.

Chen Pingan suddenly opened his eyes, and instantly restrained all his aura, and remained still.

Only by looking at the mouth of the stream into the lake in the distance, there is a ripple that affects the subtle changes in the aura of the world, and then Chen Ping'an soon saw the color of the water over there, and three women, one in front, two behind, came slowly, The headed woman was wearing colorful clothes with fluttering sash, misty water, and the two maids behind her also looked like those in the Narcissus Temple, but their appearance was actually better than that of the gods, but the wife of the canal master was actually far more beautiful. It is not as good as the one painted on the statue of the god. I don't know what the skilled craftsman who opened the face of the god statue of the canal master of the temple thought in his heart every time he cut the knife.

Looking away again, Chen Pingan began to admire the courage of those guys in the temple. One of the teenagers climbed up to the altar, hugged the statue of the canal master, and gnawed on it. Laughing, screams and applause continued.

When I was young, it was probably like this. I always felt that being unruly was a capable thing.

And when I was young, I met the girl I actually liked in my heart, bullied her a bit, was scolded a few times by her, and rolled my eyes a few times, it was considered mutual liking.

The three women who came from Cangyun Lake, when they approached the temple, used their blindness to turn into a white-haired old woman and two young girls.

The corner of the old woman's mouth sneered endlessly, and after entering the temple, she had a benevolent expression.

Those teenagers and young men were dumbfounded when they saw the white-haired old woman and the two green girls behind her.

For a while, there was no sound in the temple, except for the occasional cracking of dead branches in the fire.

Especially the young man who wrapped his hands around the neck of the god's statue and wrapped his legs around his waist, turned his head and was at a loss.

One of the teenagers gently bumped the young man beside him with his elbow, and said in a trembling voice, "Isn't it really the water god who came to ask the crime?"

The man shook his head, from astonishment to surprise, he laughed and said: "Keep your eyes wide open, what does it look like, she is an old nanny walking at night, with two granddaughters, most of whom we don't know in the nearby villages , we have a lot of good fortune."

The young man secretly wiped off the oil stains on the corners of his mouth. Knowing this man's temperament, he was really afraid that he would do such a nasty thing when he was drinking. .”

The young and strong man sneered and said: "It's better if you make a big fuss. Raw rice is cooked and cooked. It just happens to marry into the door as a wife. Don't rob me. I like those two girl's movies, but I Honestly, as long as the one on the left and the one on the right, you can discuss it slowly."

The old woman pretended to be flustered, and was about to take the two young girls away, but was already surrounded by the man.

The most courageous young man who jumped onto the altar had already slipped from the statue of his wife, with his hands on his hips, looked at the scene at the door, and said with a playful smile: "Sure enough, what the foreigner with the knife said was right, I am very lucky now!" , Liu San, you have one for you and one for me"

Chen Ping suddenly frowned.

Looking at a beam in the temple.

One person sat up, a thick-browed and strong man with a knife hanging from his waist and his legs hanging down. He yawned and lazily tore off a yellow paper talisman on his body. After being torn off, the talisman burned up.

The old woman looked shocked.

The man laughed and said, "You don't need to do anything, you can't catch fish."

The man stretched his muscles and bones, and at the same time waved his sleeves, a wave of spiritual energy swam across the walls like a snake, and then he snapped his fingers. On the inner and outer walls of the temple, golden talismans suddenly appeared, and the talisman patterns were like birds.

Before his group of market idiots set off, he sneaked into the Narcissus Temple first. After painting the talisman, he used a unique talisman and secret technique, just like the technique of concealing the breath of a turtle, so that he could deceive himself, otherwise the wife of the canal master But I was about to be scared away.As for those detention talismans, it is a good method for the master to become famous. They are called snow mud talismans, also known as flying bird seal scripts. After the talismans are completed, they are the most concealed and difficult to detect. Claw, how can Hongfei count things.

However, apart from this unique art of talismans, my own family is a well-known military school after all, and it is good at assassination, and it is not the same as ordinary military forces. Therefore, the brothers of the same school are mostly the personal servants of the generals and ministers of secular dynasties. , although the Shimen is not considered to be the top immortal family power on the territory of these dozens of countries, no one dares to underestimate it.It's just that he has a wild personality and can't be restrained. For decades, he only likes to hang out in the rivers and lakes at the bottom of the mountain. He would rather be a chicken head than a phoenix tail. I am happy too.Especially those so-called heroines are even more interesting.

At this moment, the man looked at the old woman and the two young girls, and regarded them as belongings in his pocket.

The old woman slowly asked: "I don't know why this fairy master is trying to lure me out of the lake and still doing this at my house. It's not very good."

The man stretched out his hand, grabbed a wine jug from the side of the campfire, raised his head and took a big gulp, then threw it out abruptly, and said in distaste: "You bastards, what did you buy? It smells like urine. Drink it!" This kind of drink, no wonder the brain can't figure it out."

The man seemed to be in a bad mood, and he stared at the old woman, "My junior brother and your family, Cangyunhu Hujun, are not very good at dealing with each other. It just so happened that this time I was ordered by my master to go to the city of chauffeurs, and Hu Jun hid at the bottom of his lake. Dragon Palace, it's hard to find, I know you girl, you have always been a bitter woman who can't stand loneliness, the grievance between my silly junior brother and Cangyun Lake, in the final analysis, was also caused by you, so I will take you as a sacrificial knife Hu Jun came here, that's just right, as long as he climbed to the shore, I really don't fear him at all. Don't you say that the wife of the owner is his confinement, I'll play you to death later, and then throw your body in the By Cangyun Lake, see if he can't bear it."

The old woman's face was pale.

The two maids looked even more pitiful and pitiful. The wife of the master could still maintain a blindfold, but their aura had been slackened, and they faintly showed their true faces.

Those street sluts were all so frightened that their faces turned pale.

Especially the frivolous young man standing on the altar, he had to rely on the statue to stand still without limp.

Although Chen Pingan didn't know how the man concealed his aura so well, but one thing was obvious, there were no good people in the three places of the temple.

The only boy who was still sitting by the campfire still had some conscience left, but now he was so scared that he wet his pants.

The old woman simply withdrew her blindfold and forced a smile, "This great immortal master must be from the Ghost Axe Palace of the Jinduo Kingdom."

The man was stunned for a moment, and began to yell: "Fucking like you, you can also make my junior brother feel happy. After so many years, I took him through the rivers and lakes in the early years to help him relieve his boredom. It's also a taste." I have tasted a lot of powerful ladies and beautiful women, but the younger brother always finds it boring, what’s wrong, it’s because you are so good at bedtime.”

On the branch in the distance, Chen Pingan, who was always holding his sleeves in his arms, narrowed his eyes.

The canal master's wife at the gate of the temple had an ugly face, but she still said in a flattering tone: "Back then, I fell in love with the immortal teacher's younger brother, not only because we wanted to be that dewy mandarin duck, but because we were determined to be a pair of god-human and Taoist couples who did not follow the rules. , but was framed by the lowly maidservant of Zaoxi Canal Master, and secretly reported the matter to Mr. Hu. Even though I tried to persuade Mr. Hu afterwards, he still insisted on hurting people, so there was such a misunderstanding, Master Xianshi People are wise."

Seeing the man on the crossbeam, the wife of the master had already started to hold down the handle of the knife, grabbed a maid with one hand, pulled it forward, and said with a coquettish smile: "Master Immortal, my two maids are quite handsome, so let's go." I gave it to Master Xianshi as a bed warming maid, I just hope to take pity on one or two, and send them back to Cangyun Lake after getting bored next year."

The man asked, "What about you?"

Mrs. Qu's wife said with a smile: "If Master Xianshi can see it well, and doesn't dislike the willow-like posture of slaves and maidservants, it doesn't matter if they go to bed together."

The man was noncommittal, and raised his chin twice, "What do you do with these pickled bastards?"

His wife smiled sweetly, "Offending the gods deserves death, but if you hinder the eyes of the immortal master, you will die even more. I will clean up these guys right away. There is a sparkling cup in the sleeve of the servant girl, and the water from Cangyun Lake I just took this opportunity to invite Jun Kuan to drink to my heart's content, and I personally poured the wine for Master Xianshi. These two maids were born as court dancers before they were alive. After they took off their clothes, they danced to cheer up."

The man was still smiling and playing, and kept silent.

This made the wife of the master's heart beat even more.

In an instant.

The man slashed out without warning.

His wife shrank her head in fright, but fortunately, the saber light did not take her head, but went outside the temple.

His wife's face turned pale, and she turned her head to look.

On the other side of a big tree, under the light of the knife, on the branch, a young ranger wearing a bamboo hat raised his head slightly, with one hand still tucked in his sleeve, holding the spatula with only one hand The light, the light of the knife collided with the gang qi condensed near the palm, making the stranger look like a god-man, holding the bright moon.

The man was surprised in his heart, his face remained unchanged, he changed from a sitting position to squatting on the beam, holding a knife in his hand, the blade was sharp and sharp, he clicked his tongue and said in amazement: "Yo, what a handsome technique, the energy is pure, condensed and perfect, when will Yinping Kingdom come out?" You are such a young master of martial arts, but I have dealt with No. 1 in the Yinping Kingdom Jianghu, and I can block this knife with all my strength, but I can't be so easy."

Chen Ping gently put away the palm of his hand, and the last light of the knife disappeared, and asked: "The talisman you had on your body earlier, and the talisman painted on the wall, are the secrets of the master's sect that only you monks of Ghost Axe Palace can use."

The man smiled and said, "It's just that I borrowed a light knife to greet you, and I'm going to pretend to be a uncle with me."

The man fell from the beam and fell to the ground. When he strode towards the gate of the temple, his wife, the two maids, and the men in the market who had already dispersed all hurriedly moved further away.

The man leaned on the ground with a knife, and said with a sneer: "Quickly report the name, if it is a mountain that is familiar with our Ghost Axe Palace, then it is a friend. The boy intends to be an old-fashioned and warm-hearted tycoon, and to be a hero here tonight, then I, Du Yu, will teach you how to be a man."

The young and strong young people in the market only felt that what the fairy teacher said was frightening.

But the wife of the canal master was very surprised. The words surnamed Du actually said a lot of mystery. It can't be called showing weakness, but it can't be called domineering.

What followed was even more shocking to the wife of the canal master.

The young ranger disappeared in a flash, stood outside the open gate of the temple, smiled and said: "Then I beg you to teach me to be a man."

Du Yu held the handle of the knife with one hand, clenched his fist with the other, twisted it lightly, and said with a ferocious face, "Should we decide whether to win or lose, or directly divide life and death?"

As a result, the man replied: "You didn't kill me, you almost scared me to death."

His wife really didn't have the guts to laugh out loud, otherwise she would have laughed out loud.

Suddenly, Mrs. Qu's thoughts changed sharply, and she took a step back, "Du Yu, Du Yu of the Ghost Axe Palace, you are the son of the pair of Taoist couples on Jinduo Mountain."

Du Yu twitched the corners of his mouth, well, it's quite interesting, this auntie can live.

It's just that the person outside the door said again: "How big are the Taoist companions, two monks of the upper five realms"

The owner's wife was overjoyed, it was a great thing for her to move out of Du Yu's prominent status, and the other party was still not afraid at all, it seemed that the worst situation tonight would be to drive away the wolf and the tiger, if it really hurts both sides, that would be the best, if it happens The Lengtouqing who was born in the sky won, and it was even better. Dealing with a ranger who has no grievances or enmities is always easy to discuss, and it is better than dealing with Du Yu, a vicious man who is coming towards him.Even if Du Yu chopped that flamboyant young ranger into a puddle of meat, he should still think of his little affection just now.After all, Du Yu didn't look like he was going to fight for his life, otherwise, according to the bad temper of the cultivator of Ghost Axe Palace, he would have slashed people with his sword.

Du Yu hooked his fingers, lifted the knife, waved it casually, and said with a smile: "As long as you break through the talisman formation and enter this temple, I will let you do it."

In an instant, the golden light exploded around the walls of the temple, dazzling the gods.

Then I saw the young ranger wearing a bamboo hat, appearing like a ghost, appearing beside Du Yu, sweeping his arm on the latter's neck, beating Du Yu's entire aura and fainting on the spot, and then smashed heavily On the altar in the temple, not only did the statue of the canal master's wife be smashed into two pieces, but Du Yu was also trapped in the wall. As for the knife, it fell to the ground with a clang.

The knife on the ground is as bright as water, so it should be a good knife.

Chen Pingan held a trekking stick and stood on the spot. The iron cavalry chiseling formation with a slight change in this hand, combined with a square inch talisman after breaking through the formation and entering the temple, naturally saved his strength, otherwise he threatened to let himself make a move. Guy, I should be an unfilial son and let the white-haired couple of Ghost Axe Palace send off the black-haired man. Of course, it is not surprising that the monks on the mountain are still childlike at the age of a hundred or even a thousand years.

The reason why he kept his strength was naturally that Chen Pingan wanted to turn around and "ask for advice with an open mind" with that person.

As for those youths in the market, all of whom were frightened and frightened, they were instantly stunned by the ripples of energy from the fist.

As for the frivolous young man on the altar, he was hooked by Du Yu who flew upside down and knocked unconscious. Compared with the man in the courtyard, that young man's end was even more miserable.

Everything was calculated exactly.

But it's just a punch.

Only the boy sitting by the campfire was left.

Chen Ping glanced at him, "I can't pretend to be dead."

The boy quickly fell back on the ground, tilted his head, rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

Chen Pingan asked with a smile: "Madam Quzhu, you don't mind breaking your statue."

While speaking, with a wave of his sleeve, one of the young and strong men was like a broom, sweeping away the wall, the man collided with the wall, and there was a slight sound of bone smashing.

The canal owner who was in charge of the water transport of a stream and river felt that his bones were about to be shattered.

Mrs. Qu's wife hurriedly said in a trembling voice: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, as long as the immortal master is happy, it doesn't matter if it is broken in two, it doesn't matter if it is smashed."

Chen Pingan asked, "What's going on in Suijia City?"

Mrs. Qu's wife bent down slightly, and held up a treasured celestial utensil with both hands, "Immortal master can drink while the slaves speak slowly."

Chen Ping smiled and said: "Your method is not very popular with that surnamed Du. Do you think it works? Besides, why does his junior brother never forget you? Mrs. Mistress, you have no idea in your heart. You really want to die , I should change to a smarter way. When I have low boxing skills and not deep experience in the world, I can be deceived."

His wife quickly put away the wine cup, but there was a chill in the top of her head, and then her heart was so painful that she was slapped so that her knees sank into the ground.

Her mind was swaying, as if she was in a pan of oil, the wife of the canal master endured the severe pain, her teeth chattered, her trembling voice became heavier, and she said: "The immortal master is kind, the immortal master is kind, this servant will not dare to seek death by himself."

Chen Ping waved his hand, "I'm not Du, I have nothing to do with you and Cangyun Lake, I'm just passing by. If it wasn't for Du who insisted on letting me do something, I wouldn't be willing to come in. One hundred and fifty, say Talk about the inside story of the city that you know, if there are some things that I know you know, but you know and pretend not to know, then I will have to make a total calculation with the wife of the master, the wife of the master deliberately put it in the sleeve That sparkling cup is actually a natal object used to carry things like ecstasy soup and love luck."

The wife of his wife laughed uglier than she cried.

This guy is obviously a hundred times more difficult than that Du Yu

The owner's wife was trembling, and told about the disasters that happened to the neighbor's city.

While listening to her narration, Chen Ping quietly noticed the expressions of the two maids from the corner of his eyes.

The City God of the accompanying city is really about to collapse, and he has reached the end of the incense road, the so-called end of the road, that's all.But like that person who is afraid of death, the City God is no exception. He has exhausted all means, first clearing up the relationship, exhausting his savings, and asking the court for an order that exceeds the etiquette, but the effect is still not good. Because of an old event that no one paid much attention to at the time but had far-reaching consequences, a hundred years ago, there was an unjust case in Suijia City where a family of scholars and families died. Xue, the truth is far from this. The officials at the Town God's Temple at that time did not know that the consequences would be so serious, otherwise it would have been a different scene.

Cangyun Lake and Suijia City are close neighbors. Master Hu Jun, who governs one lake, three rivers and two canals, has deep roots, so he knows many inside stories. That scholarly family has done good deeds for generations

, In the plaque of the family ancestral hall, there was about to give birth to an incense villain, but suddenly, a disaster happened overnight, and no chicken or dog was left behind.Chenghuang Lord was furious, and began to order the subordinate officials of various divisions to pick up the matter. He never expected to find out in the end, but actually found Chenghuangmiao himself. The General Shackles, whose duties were similar to that of a county lieutenant, colluded with each other. One of them transformed into a human form without authorization, put on the skin of a handsome boy, and seduced and bullied the woman of that family, while the General Shackles fell in love with the woman who was not yet fully developed. The condensed incense villain hoped to bribe a monk from the immortal family, tried to take a post in the Chenghuang Pavilion of the state city, and was promoted to be a military judge under one person and above all the divisions. The two officials of the Town God's Temple, who were supposed to help a county with good weather and orderly yin and yang, teamed up to invite a group of gangsters who went around and committed crimes into the city, and bloodbathed that scholarly family. Wife, the golden house hides her charms in a secluded mansion in the countryside outside the county town.

If only this was the case, even if the City God was a little selfish and lightly sentenced the two assistant officials, he would not be reduced to the land he is today. He killed the gangsters on the spot, leaving no one alive, and then secretly let the chief officer of the Yin Yang Department go, and killed the general who was turning his elbow outward. As for the two women, they were naturally doomed, but I never thought that there was a child in the scholarly family who just happened to play hide-and-seek with the maidservant in the mansion, and hid in the wall, and the maid was loyal to protect the lord, and deliberately died near the wall, covering the entrance with her body, and That child was able to escape from Suijia City by chance. More than ten years later, with the help of a senior acquaintance, he was able to change his name and household registration. He found out about the Town God's Temple, and then naturally it was another tragedy, but compared to everyone in the past, this time, from the beginning to the end, it was silent, and the news learned by the court was nothing more than a The dedicated county magistrate died of illness and took office.

The scholar who should have a bright future has never married a wife in his life, and he has no bookboys and maidservants around him. One took office alone, and the other died.He seemed to have been aware of the dangers in the city. Before he quietly sent a secret letter to his friends in the court, he had already regarded death as home. Finally, on that day, he went to the mansion that had been a deserted ghost house for many years. , The man took off his official robe, put on linen and filial piety, offered incense and kowtowed, and then died.

In fact, before he walked out of the county guard's mansion, the ghost officials of the Town God's Temple had surrounded the entire government office, and the day and night wandering god himself became the "door god", and there were even civil and military judges hiding in the government office. Beside him, staring at him.

So late at night that night, this person walked all the way from the government office to the old house, let alone a passerby, and there was not even a watchman.

Three years after the City God of Suijiacheng cut the weeds and rooted them out, he discovered that a crack had begun to appear in his golden body.

The yin virtues that have been accumulated can't make up for this crack, and can only watch it spread more and more to the golden body.

So there is the vision of today's driving city.

Chen Pingan has been listening quietly, and then the canal owner's wife, with a slightly gloating tone, made a final conclusion for the city god's temple, "You can't live with your own crimes, but they are the most familiar words of the town god's temple. It's really funny. In the City God's Temple in Suijia City, there is also a large stone-carved abacus, which is used to warn the world that people are acting like gods."

Chen Pingan finally asked: "The secret letter sent to the capital was intercepted by the Temple of the City God."

Mrs. Qu's wife shook her head and said, "Returning to Master Immortal, according to what my Lord Hu said, the eunuch acted very meticulously, and indeed he sent it to his friends in the capital. But for some reason, it's like a muddy cow entering the sea. After so many years, the court didn't know about it." The matter is that the person who received the letter had a smooth official career, and he became the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment back then. Later, his family became more prosperous, and his descendants had excellent literary fortunes in the imperial examinations. There were as many as six Jinshi alone. The current head of the family is also in charge of the government. One side's feudal officials."

Chen Pingan asked again: "Together with this man surnamed Du, so many cultivators rushed to the accompanying city, why is it that the accompanying city god, who is so prosperous and has made so many friends on the mountain?" , I want to give Chenghuang Temple a hand.”

The wife of Mrs. Qu, who had been obediently standing there, lowered her voice, raised her head and said, "The geomantic omen of the city is quite strange. After the turmoil in the Temple of the City God, it seems that there is no treasure to keep. Every time the moon is full, rainstorm or heavy snowfall At night, in the county town, there will be a precious light, from a prison, angry bullfighting, over the years, many high-level people on the mountain have run to investigate, but they have not been able to catch the strange treasure. It's just that some expert geologists speculate that it is a treasure of heaven and earth that has been conceived by the luck of mountains and rivers in a state for thousands of years. As the resentment and evil spirit of the driving city are too heavy and lingering, they don't want to go back. Staying in the driving city, there is a sign that Chongbao will appear in this world."

Chen Ping narrowed his eyes again and asked, "I just casually asked you Mrs. Qu, and I learned so many shocking truths, and then so many capable people and strangers, and after so many years, they all flew here one by one. Flying, going back and forth in that accompanying city, maybe there are still many monks who have taken root in the city for many years, but there is no fairy master who tries to reverse the case for that family."

Mrs. Qu’s daze this time was spontaneous, not fake, and she murmured: "What are you doing to turn the case against the Town God's Temple? Wouldn't it be even more difficult to get that rare treasure?"

Chen Pingan took off his bamboo hat, looked up at the night sky, scratched his head, "Well, that's a very reasonable statement."

There was some noise on the wall behind the altar of the temple.

His wife only felt a gust of breeze blowing her face, she suddenly turned her head to look.

The altar was knocked half open by the man, and the dust was flying. Ghost Ax Gong Du Yu, who had secretly woken up and wanted to make a move, was grabbed by the neck by the man with one hand, and smashed hard into the ground.

When the man got up, Du Yu had already lost all energy, and he couldn't die anymore.

At that moment, his wife's wife, as a goddess of water, felt cold all over her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

The man turned his head sideways and looked at her.

He was expressionless.

The eyes are as quiet as an ancient well, as if there is a dragon swaying in the depths of the water, trying to climb up the wall of the well, sticking out its head to see the world outside the well.

The wife of the master wanted to take a step back and hide further, but her feet sank deep into the ground, so she had to lean back. It seemed that only in this way would she not be scared to death directly.

But for some reason, the next moment, the man suddenly smiled, stood up, clapped his palms, put on his bamboo hat again, stretched out two fingers, helped him up, and said with a smile: "The monks on the mountain are not stained with mortals, and are not tainted with karma." , a matter of course.”