Pawn Crossing the River

This is a town that is not easy to find on the map. It cannot even be called a county town. It is only marked on the map because it is close to the official road.

Such a small place close to the Imperial Capital has a bit of the atmosphere of the Imperial Capital, but it can't hide a bit of embarrassment, and can't help but convey a bit of a broken settlement.

So one can imagine the half-closed business opened here.

Zhang Yuelu frowned and followed Xuanji, looking around. Because it was daytime, there were no guests and it was quite quiet, but she felt a little uncomfortable.

It's not that she has never been to a brothel, but the brothels she went to were all first- and second-class, and they were not limited to skin and flesh business. In other words, the skin and flesh business was so dressed up that it was almost unrecognizable to its original appearance. It's like a wine seller. After the business grew, it started selling fennel beans and other ingredients for wine, then stir-fried vegetables, then started a hotel business, and finally even invited a storyteller. Then it's not a tavern, but an inn. Since we are going to an inn, it doesn't matter if we don't drink.

But it's different here. You're just naked here. You do what you do as soon as you walk in. There's no foreplay like having tea, listening to music, or flirting. It's not elegant or clean at all. If Daxingyuan is only morally unclean, then this place is somewhat both realistically and morally unclean.

Narrow, cramped and dark.

Sewage, various garbage, and suspected products of defecation and vomiting are full of unpleasant smells.

Miscellaneous women's belongings can be seen everywhere, some are discarded, some have been washed and dried, such as small clothes, bellybands, embroidered shoes and trousers. Because of the snow, they all turned to ice. Maybe because the owner was still sleeping, he didn't put them away.

Along the way, women often look unkempt and look like they have just woken up. Their complexions are yellow and need to be covered up with makeup. If you use the "Immortal Qi Watching Technique" to look at it, Zhang Yuelu is a flawless piece of beautiful jade, but they are already riddled with holes and hollowed out, like rotten wood, and their future end will not be good.

The guests who come here are naturally not rich people, they are all low-level people, and even mainly bachelors.

Yujing, Jinling Mansion, Imperial Capital, and here are actually under the same sky. Zhang Yuelu thought she knew the suffering in the world, but now she was a little less sure. Just as Qi Xuansu thought he was a self-reliant Taoist priest, he was not so sure after learning Qiniang's true identity.

Zhang Yuelu resisted the urge to cover her nose with her hands. After all, it was daytime, and this was just the backyard, not a place to receive guests. There was some unpleasant smell, but no strange smell. It was just that she was prejudiced against such places. She constantly warned herself that she should uphold the idea of ​​equality, should not think of herself as noble, should maintain a normal attitude, and should not be shy and pretentious.

After a while, Zhang Yuelu returned to his normal state.

Xuanji turned back and glanced at Zhang Yuelu: "I have examined myself three times every day. In terms of mentality alone, you are already better than the countless children of the Zhang family who are lying on the merits of their ancestors."

Zhang Yuelu was not complacent and asked: "As a senior member of Ziguang Society, why are you hiding here?"

Xuanji said: "It is precisely because I am a senior member of Ziguang Society that I can only stay here. After all, the three secret societies cannot easily enter the Imperial Capital. They are just small fish and shrimps. Once a senior person like me enters the Imperial Capital, it will be easy for him to do so." Being hunted by both the imperial court and the Taoist sect, especially after the incident at Jinling Mansion, the Imperial Capital's defenses became even tighter. "

Zhang Yuelu nodded, this answer was reasonable. This does not prevent Ziguang Society from helping, because the final battlefield will be in the Five Elements Mountain, not the Imperial City.

Finally, the two of them came to a small and elegant living room, which seemed like two different worlds from the outside, shutting out all the unbearable things.

Xuanji motioned for Zhang Yuelu to sit down, and then said: "Before we talk about things formally, I have to fulfill my promise. I said before that if Zhang Gaogong wins, then I will give him a small opportunity to make Zhang Gaogong go faster. ”

She paused for a moment: "To be fair, Zhang Gaogong is already walking very slowly. At least when I was Zhang Gaogong's age, I was still far inferior to Zhang Gaogong. It's just that the world is different, the weather has changed, and a catastrophe is coming. According to what the empress said, It is said that this is the last flashback, and not only will heavenly beings emerge in large numbers, but also a few real geniuses, such as thirty-year-old immortals."

Zhang Yuelu said: "With my qualifications, reaching immortality at the age of thirty is undoubtedly a foolish dream. The genius Zhenjun mentioned is probably not me."

"Zhang Gaogong, don't be too eager to deny yourself." Xuanji smiled slightly, "The empress also said that everything depends on man-made efforts. Many people who have achieved fame and success are half God's will and half man-made. If there is only God's will and no man-made things, nothing will happen. . In my opinion, Zhang Gaogong only had God’s will but no human help, and he wasted his great years.”

Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly and said, "What do you mean by this?"

Xuanji said: "Back then, whether it was Xuansheng or Donghuang, the Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu personally took care of him most of the time, and a small amount of time was taken care of by his senior brothers. From infants to teenagers, it was like a day for ten years. The foundation was laid, the regulations were set, and then they were allowed to develop on their own. Also, Shangguan Wan, the first earth master after the Taoist sect was integrated, was also personally taught by Xu Wugui, from building the foundation to enlightenment, to answering all kinds of questions later. So. On the other hand, Zhang Gaogong, has the Heavenly Master ever taught you? As for Master Cihang, not to mention that she is slightly inferior to Li Daoxu and Xu Wugui, as a Master Shenzhi, she is busy with official duties. With so many disciples, how much time do they spend on you? The earth master has taught you, but how can the contact with you, ranging from half a month to ten years, be compared with ten years of work?"

Zhang Yuelu was silent.

Because she was born in a small sect and was feared by the big sect, it was naturally impossible for her to be taught by the Celestial Master himself. She had been studying clan studies since she was a child. Later, he became a disciple of Immortal Cihang, but he never even went to Putuo Island. He always lived in Yunjin Mountain. At that time, Immortal Cihang was still the head of the Jiangnan Dao Prefecture. He only occasionally went to Da Zhenren Mansion and taught Zhang Yuelu how to practice "Cihang". Pudu Sword Code", it was not until she went to Yujing that she had the opportunity to have long-term contact with her master Cihang.

Nowadays, there are two comments about Zhang Yuelu, one is that he is not easy to get along with, and the other is that he is willing to do things. Some people say that Li Changge has the legacy of Xuansheng, while others say that Zhang Yuelu has the legacy of the five great masters of the Five Dynasties. However, it takes time to do things. Zhang Yuelu is busy with various secular affairs, and his own cultivation will inevitably fall behind, which makes her in Jinling Mansion. You have to take pills to forcefully become a heavenly being.

From the perspective of seeking immortality, Xuanji said that Zhang Yuelu was wasting his good years, which makes some sense.

Seeing that Zhang Yuelu did not refute, Xuanji continued: "The difference between inner elixir and outer elixir lies in the ratio. It does not mean that the inner elixir sect does not take elixirs at all, nor does it mean that the outer elixir sect does not need to practice daily. It mainly depends on the proportion. A person like Li Changge, who accounts for more than 70-80% of his body's outer alchemy, naturally belongs to the outer alchemy sect; someone like Zhang Gaogong, who only accounts for 10 to 20% of his body's outer alchemy, belongs to the inner sect of alchemy."

After hearing this, Zhang Yuelu roughly understood that most of the things Xuanji was going to give would be related to external forces. The main purpose of these words was to tell her not to have too many worries.

In fact, Zhang Yuelu's obsession is mainly to change Taoism. As for inner and outer elixirs, she doesn't care. The reason why she took the path of inner elixir was not because she had a long-term vision or her heart was as high as the sky. The main reason was that no one gave her the "Heart of Immortality Stone" or the "Elixir of Immortality".

The Waidan sect is either rich, like Li Changge, or lucky, like Qi Xuansu.

Having neither, it is safer to follow the Neidan sect.

Zhang Yuelu said: "Xuanji Star Master, please stop being secretive and please speak out."

Xuanji said: "The Empress is the mother of all stars, but she is not as good as several special star masters. Manjusri and Guanyin are the teachers of the Seven Buddhas, and they are not Buddhas themselves. According to legend, Guangchengzi is the teacher of the Emperor of Heaven, and his final achievements are far less than those of the Emperor of Heaven. On the other hand, whether it is the Empress, Patriarch Guangcheng or the two Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, they themselves are limited and cannot reach higher levels, but it is not difficult to enlighten others. "

Zhang Yuelu said: "With my level of cultivation, it is probably not necessary for the True Lord to personally take action. I wonder how Star Master Xuanji plans to enlighten me?"

A slightly weird smile appeared on Xuanji's face again: "Zhang Gaogong, don't belittle yourself. There are two methods now. One is for the empress to enlighten Zhang Gaogong personally, which can make Zhang Gaogong reach the realm of the creation stage immediately, but it requires sacrifice For a small price, when the time comes, the empress will ask Zhang Gaogong for something."

Zhang Yuelu did not doubt True Lord Ziguang's methods. Back then, Xu Wugui helped his disciple Shangguan Wan transform from an ordinary heavenly being to a created heavenly being, but there were great hidden dangers.

In other words, True Lord Ziguang can indeed realize people's wishes, but this wish is always realized in a distorted form, and at a very heavy price. This is a bit like taking out a loan. You will come back nine times and you will lose money no matter how you calculate it. It is better not to touch this kind of thing until you are in a desperate situation.

This also reminded Zhang Yuelu of a Western story she had read. Someone made a wish to the devil, hoping that his injured arm would no longer hurt, so the devil sawed off his arm and there would be no more pain.

Zhang Yuelu said directly: "I refuse."

Xuanji nodded without surprise: "That is the second method. I will take action to give Zhang Gaogong a small fortune, in the hope that Zhang Gaogong can reach the immeasurable stage faster."

Zhang Yuelu was very dissatisfied with Xuanji's constant going around in circles and asked, "What is the solution? If it's Fangzhongshu or Dual Cultivation, we might as well not even mention it."

Xuanji smiled: "Zhang Gaogong is so smart. I really have this idea. Since Zhang Gaogong said it in advance, I have to change it."

After saying that, she flicked her finger, and a point of light flew out from her fingertips.

The light point hovered in front of Zhang Yuelu. ..

Xuanji said: "Accept it, this is also the intention of the Heavenly Master."

Zhang Yuelu did not let down his guard: "What on earth is this?"

Xuanji said softly: "This is a thunder talisman left by the Ancestral Master."