crossing yin and yang

After a loud noise that shook the ground, dust and blood splattered everywhere, two men in blue cloth shirts rolled aside in embarrassment, and the middle-aged man with three long beards under his chin let out a "wow" As soon as he spit out blood, the young one quickly struggled to get up, supported him, and asked anxiously, "Father! Are you okay?"

"It's okay." The middle-aged man waved his hand, "Go and see if that vile beast is dead."

The young man immediately got up and walked towards the crypt not far away, only to see a pitch-black snake in the big pit in front of him. There was a faint burnt smell from the lightning strike.Seeing this scene, the young man couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief, and turned back to his father, reporting, "Father, the snake is dead, this disaster should be eliminated."

The middle-aged man nodded, stood up holding his son's arm, looked at the mound in front of him, frowned again, and said in a low voice after a long time: "Something is wrong, what's wrong with the atmosphere here?" It is possible to raise a different species of python, so is there anything underground?"

Hearing this, the young man became nervous again, and looked around, and suddenly his eyes lit up, pointing to the north of the snake den: "Father, the small mound over there doesn't look right, I'll go there to check it out first. ?”

After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged man still nodded, and said carefully: "Use the Xuanqi to explore the way, be careful in everything."

The young man didn't look like a weak crown, but his skills were quite nimble, and his Taoism was not weak. He quickly released seven small red flags. After seeing that the flags hadn't moved, he carefully pinched the tactic on both sides. Only then did he walk to the edge of the mound cautiously, and after hesitating for a moment, he drew out the short knife stuck in the back of his waist and inserted it into the soil.

This time he was still reckless, the middle-aged man frowned, but he did not say anything to stop him. The youngest son of his family is a rare talent, maybe not as good as his master, but he is definitely much better than himself back then. Zhizhi is one who cannot be coddled, you can only let him go for himself.

The short blade was inserted into the soil, and there really was no abnormality. The young man exhaled lightly, and kept digging down with his hands. He couldn't get half a stick of incense. He let out a sigh and called out loudly: , It's a turtle slough!"

The middle-aged man was also surprised, and walked over with strength, only to see that what was buried under the mound was indeed a turtle slough, complete and as big as a millstone.I have never seen such a big turtle in the inland land, not to mention that the shell of the turtle has always been shed in pieces. Generally, there is only one possibility that there is such a complete shell. An old turtle sat on it here.Glancing at the reddish-brown turtle slough, and then at the snake cave next to it, the middle-aged man's frowning brows finally calmed down, and he said, "I see."

No matter what kind of species this old turtle is, it should have some Taoism, and the spiritual energy of the decayed and dissipated body should not be underestimated, so that it will attract the pythons to build their nests, and then the turtles and snakes will respond, forming a Xuanwu pattern.Now that the python is about to turn into a demon, and the bad water of Xuanwu cannot be dealt with, it will cause a catastrophe to the nearby villages.It was also because the tortoise shell interfered with the earth's atmosphere that they did not discover the basilisk early.

Thankfully nothing went wrong.He let out a sigh of relief, and the man was about to say something, when the young man was startled suddenly, gently pushed aside the floating soil at the bottom of the pit with his hand, and took out a round object.

"It's a little tortoise. Is it still alive?" He took the tortoise in his hand in surprise, and poked it again. The young man looked up at his father, who hesitated for a moment, and took the tortoise with his hand.

At this time, the little tortoise seemed to have just woken up, struggling to shake its limbs, as if it wanted to jump off the human hand, looking at this and that with its small head, it rushed to the turtle slough below and screamed "ahhhhhhhh When he got up, his voice was thin, like a child crying.

The two were even more surprised now. The tortoise doesn't make many calls. The middle-aged man didn't let go, but wiped the dirt on the back of the tortoise. After turning the tortoise over and over again, he said hesitantly: "It seems It's a mausoleum tortoise, but a mausoleum tortoise eats snakes, how could it be possible to live next to a python?"

The tortoise is commonly known as the snake turtle. It lives on meat and is good at eating snakes. It is a natural enemy with the python living next to it.Even if the other party is not interested in eating it, it is impossible to let this little guy stay by the cave?

The young man couldn't bear to see the little thing struggling, took it from his father, rubbed the little round head in the palm of his hand, and said softly: "Maybe this little thing is the offspring of the old turtle? I don't know how many years I have lived, but I was conceived and raised in this Xuanwu land..." His eyes suddenly lit up, and he raised his head and asked, "Father, can I raise this turtle? Maybe it can be a spiritual pet !"

There are quite a few monks in the Taoist sect who breed different species of heaven and earth, but usually they only raise monkeys and birds. There are not many monks who raise snakes, and even none who know how to raise turtles. After all, turtles have a long lifespan. The time has also been extended several times, and often the owner has reached the end of his life before he has spiritual wisdom, which is not conducive to cultivation at all.

However, the middle-aged man just pondered for a moment, then nodded and said: "That's fine, this tortoise has an extraordinary history, and it also has the image of Xuanwu. I took them all, and it should be a great tonic for this little guy."

Immortals and animals can form pills in practice, but snakes can form double pills. The outer pill is round and white in the brain, and the inner pill is snake gallbladder. The powerful ones can refine crystal beads, and the weaker ones can also strengthen their bodies. They are considered snakes. The two most precious treasures of the monster are now going to be fed to the turtle in one breath, and I'm afraid it would be shocking to change someone else.However, the young man jumped up happily, and said to the little turtle: "This time it's cheap for you, you should open up your wisdom earlier, don't wait until I die to be sensible."

Strange to say, upon hearing this, the struggling little tortoise stopped moving, obediently stuffed into the cloth belt on his waist, and the young man rolled up his sleeves and began to deal with the giant python. The smell of blood immediately became more choking.

Standing aside, the middle-aged man looked at it for a while, then moved his gaze to the village not far away.Now that the world has been settled, the current emperor is also a person who likes to practice Taoism, and he even bestowed the title of "Mr. Xiyi" on Chen Tuan. I think that person had secretly visited the master back then, but now, the master is still tainted. , but he became the guest of the Lord of the World... Sighing lightly, the middle-aged man once again focused his eyes on his son. It seems that the matter of inheriting the moral lineage of the master will still be placed on him.

Over there, the young man just took out the outer pill from the snake's brain, and without wiping off his bloody hand, he stretched out the bead to the little turtle's mouth to tease. He actually swallowed the outer alchemy directly.This startled the people around him, and he quickly grabbed the little turtle and shook it: "You are too greedy! How can you swallow the whole pill, spit it out quickly! If you don't do it well, you will explode and die... "

How can I say that the Waidan is also the size of a peanut, but the turtle is only as big as it is. It was almost out of breath from being choked, and its four legs were shaken, but it still didn't let go, and even hung upside down with a Waidan swallowed it whole, and said "ah" weakly when it was over, Dou's eyes were misty, as if he was acting like a spoiled child.

One person and one tortoise looked at each other for a long while, but finally the person was defeated and reached out to flick the little tortoise on the head: "Don't blame me if it explodes." Back to the cloth bag.After working hard for a long time, the snake's skin was peeled off, the snake's gallbladder and teeth were pulled out, and the rest of the bones were buried cleanly.

Turning his head to look, he saw that his father had already buried the tortoise shell in the ground. He couldn't help wondering: "Father, the tortoise shell is also a rare thing, why don't you take it away?"

"It's been sucked clean by the python, and it's a burden to take it away. It's better to put it here to calm the air." The middle-aged man patted the dust on his hands, looked at the blood and mud stains on his upper body, and sighed "Let's hurry up and get on the road, Juzhou still has thousands of miles to go."

Hearing his father's words, the young man also sighed: "Do you have to go to the family surnamed Jiang?"

"Master's explanation, I still have to return this bone formation to them." The middle-aged man replied lightly.

There was a flash of pain in the eyes of the young man. The feng shui technique passed down by his family is considered unique, but it is inconvenient to tell outsiders about the inheritance, because his father's master—also his own master—is a Taoist for a hundred years. The most terrifying public enemy, Sun Yunhe, Maoshan's traitor, even if he has the talent of heaven, speaking such a name will only lead to death.And the father was raised by the ancestors alone, he can be called a disciple and a son, with deep affection.After he became sensible, the two were like sharp thorns in his heart, sandwiched between public opinion and filial piety, and the taste was not pleasant.

As if seeing his son's hesitation, the man said softly: "There are many moral gentlemen and mediocre fools in this world, why bother to take their words to heart. After all, magic is still learned. If we are upright, we will naturally It can also accumulate merit for the master and leave some good names. In this world, how many Shuli are not under the control of the Taoist sect."

"I understand." The young man replied.

However, the middle-aged man just looked at him for a while, and finally patted his son on the shoulder: "Che'er, don't blame me for being a father, you will really understand in the future."

The young man was silent for a moment, then nodded again.Seeing his son's expression, the middle-aged man stopped talking nonsense, flicked the dust off his body, and strode towards the mountain road in the distance.Then he reached out and touched the little turtle in the cloth bag. The little thing seemed to be kicking his legs all the time. He didn't know whether it was because the snake pill was too strong or it was very stuffy, but with such an object to accompany him, his heart seemed not so heavy.Smiling lightly, the young man caught up with his father's back, and the two walked side by side.

&&&

80 years later

Under Yuluan Peak, in a thatched hut, an old man with white beard and hair was writing something with a pen. His face was clear and calm, and although he was only wearing a light gray cloth robe, he looked like a fairy, very Have the demeanor of a tall man.However, while the pen was drawing, there was a sudden "click, click" sound from the door, and the corner of his lips twitched, and he raised his head and asked, "Has the kid left yet?"

He was answered with an "Ah", so it turned out that the person who entered the door was not a person at all, but a turtle the size of a bowl, with a reddish-brown carapace and a long stretched neck, shouting at the old man with great vigor.It's just that even if the tortoise could bark, no one would be able to understand what it said. The old man smiled and put down the brush in his hand: "That kid has good talent, but how can the things of the Wei family be passed on to other people so easily... , you can show him the tortoise shell later on, the Tai Yan Zhen Jue is also my life's work, as much as he can steal, let him steal it himself."

Hearing this, the tortoise stopped barking, tilted its neck, looked at the old man for a while, then suddenly crawled over, rubbing its long neck against the other's trousers.The old man smiled immediately, bent down to pick up the little turtle, put it on the table, and gently stroked its smooth and cold carapace.

"You have been with me for decades, but it's a pity that you have grown up so much that you can't even make a meal of stew... Sigh, after I pass away, you can go, the mountains are so big, there is always a place suitable for cultivation , my clansmen, I'm afraid it won't work..."

There is a trace of loneliness in the old man's brows, which is also his lifelong regret. He has no children in his life, and the brothers' heirs have no outstanding characters. The boy surnamed Lai at the door.If things go on like this, the Wei family may have no successors.

The turtle opened its mouth and pecked at his finger, then shook its head vigorously.The old man laughed lightly: "Are they going to rely on you? You are so old, how can you be reliable? Don't be betrayed by them. Well, your children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so you don't have to worry about it."

The tortoise didn't seem to give up, and bit his sleeve with all his might, as if he was fighting for the right to express himself, but it was a pity that he was pulled away with a slight tug.Facing those bright black pea eyes, the old man showed a slight smile: "I don't know how long you can live until now, it's really impossible now, but if one day, you practice even better, why don't you help me?" Taking care of those useless descendants is not in vain for my panacea to support you for a lifetime of hard work."

The tortoise tilted its head, as if thinking about it, and finally let out a reluctant "ah", and the old man laughed suddenly: "It's not a certain thing, maybe you will be stewed in the future. It's just , In case, in case one day they meet, it would be good to support the younger generation."

Hearing that it was going to be stewed again, the tortoise angrily pecked the old man again. The other party didn't plan to get used to it this time, so he threw the tortoise to his feet and lightly kicked the tortoise's shell: "Hurry up, outside!" That kid is still waiting. Don't let people really run away."

The old man was unwilling to teach, and he was reluctant to let the good seedlings slip away easily. The turtle's neck was tilted, as if he couldn't see the other party's awkward posture, and walked out again swaggeringly.After a while, there was a low cry from outside the door, with a bit of surprise, but also with a bit of depression, as if afraid of being seen.The old man shook his head and smiled, and began to write again. His whole life of true cultivation was nothing more than a thin book in the end, but he didn't know how many generations this book could be passed on.

The warm sunlight was shining on his hands, his pen froze slightly, he raised his eyes to look out the window, then lowered his head again.Although he is not as good as his ancestor, he has never lost his father's name, and he doesn't know how long those shrines placed in common people's homes will last. Maybe a hundred years or a thousand years later, his lineage will leave some traces Name it.

&&&

A thousand years

On the newly built asphalt road, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy was pursing his lips and striding forward.He was carrying a small cloth bag on his body, and he didn't take a car. He seemed to be suppressing the emotions in his heart. He walked fast and anxiously, and he didn't intend to take a car at all.This is the road from the village to the county seat. If he keeps walking, he may take half a day to enter the city. However, his appearance does not look like he is on a picnic, but more like he is burdened with something, and he can only vent out by walking.

Turning around another corner, there happened to be a dense windbreak forest in front of him. He looked up unconsciously, but suddenly frowned, and saw a tortoise the size of a washbasin crawling on the road, which was illuminated by the sun for a day. , the asphalt road is hot enough, I can't bear to step on it, let alone a turtle crawling, the shell of that big guy is dirty enough, I don't know how long I have been walking all the way, although I am carrying a heavy shell, I am still not discouraged , After climbing for a while, it seems that I still want to cross the road.

The boy was stunned for a moment, then suddenly quickened his pace and rushed over, grabbing the tortoise's shell: "Do you want to die? I didn't see a car passing by here!"

A car roared past the two of them, the tortoise froze for a moment as if frightened, and immediately turned its head to bite the boy's wrist.

"Oh! You still bit me!" He quickly withdrew his hand and looked at the big turtle with a wry smile.In the end, he sighed, took out a bottle of mineral water from the small bag, unscrewed the lid, and poured it on the turtle. "Forget it, it's not easy for anyone in this hot weather, let's not get angry, I will take you across the road when there is no car?"

After being sprinkled by the cool water, the tortoise's arrogance seemed to have receded. He narrowed his eyes and shook his neck comfortably. Looking at the other party, he seemed in a good mood. The boy smiled and picked up the tortoise, and looked at both sides of the road. After a short pause, he quickly ran across the road, took a breath, and then put the tortoise down: "You are so heavy, I'm afraid you can sell it for 500 yuan."

The tortoise added an "ah", which sounded like a curse.The child suddenly laughed, bent over and touched the turtle shell cautiously: "Okay, I won't bother you, the woods are over there, and there is a small pond, but don't let people catch fish. "

After speaking, the boy stood up, patted the dust off his pants, and started on the road again.Behind him, the tortoise stretched its neck and seemed to sniff around, then suddenly gave up on the opposite woods, followed behind the boy, and within two steps, the little guy immediately turned his head and snorted: "You Why follow me? Mineral water is gone!"

The tortoise ignored him, it stopped when the other party stopped, and followed when the other party walked away. After a few hundred meters of entanglement, the boy couldn't help but smile back: "Are you really a tortoise? It's not a bullshit plaster, I caught you!" Go make soup! Whoops, don't bite me!"

I was fighting with the big tortoise when a car stopped suddenly on the side road. The driver opened the window and shouted at the boy, "Hey! Boy! Keep the tortoise for me, don't let it get away! Wait a minute I'll share your money!"

Hearing this, the child immediately said loudly: "Uncle, this is my tortoise. My father asked me to help bring it into the city!"

The driver was taken aback by these words, and he looked at each person and the turtle in disbelief: "Your family?"

"That's right." The boy picked up the tortoise without hesitation, trotted all the way to the side of the car, and smiled at the driver, "Uncle, let's take a short ride, I'll pay for the car!"

The other party clicked his tongue: "Don't mention the car money, this turtle can't buy it... Oops! How does it bite people?!"

The boy smiled innocently: "The pet at home has a bad temper, can't it just go on the road with me? Uncle, I will hold him tightly later and don't let him make trouble!"

Seeing that the other party was a child, the man was really not easy to refuse, so he snorted: "Get in the car!"

The boy cheered, hugged the tortoise, and climbed onto the co-driver, holding the tortoise tightly in his arms. Strange to say, the tortoise didn't bite anyone this time, but just stretched its neck and looked at the driver's seat, as if curious about the car. interior decoration.Seeing the tortoise's funny movements, the boy seemed to loose some of the pressure in his heart. He chuckled and touched the tortoise's shell: "You haven't seen a car yet, have you? When you come to the city with me, you can see me." There are more."

The tortoise didn't even pay attention to him, but just looked around excitedly, the boy couldn't help but secretly slandered: "Such a big brand is also a master's fate. Forget it, I will call you a master from now on."

But complaining in his heart, his back relaxed, and he leaned lightly on the seat, touching the shiny tortoise red carapace one after another, with a smile in his eyes.