300 Wine, Successor, Potatoes (2/2)
Xu Shi struggled to stand up straight, looking at his subordinates he said seriously, ”I don't blame you for what happened this morning. After all, it was South Gate and the Academy that handled this deal first. But I really want to know how Wei Guangming could hide for so many days without being found by our government. What happened on earth?”
”Investigate it carefully. If it was our soldiers who didn't fulfill their duty because they were too afraid , then kill them all. If it was the Imperial Center Administration or South Gate Temple's fault, then report it to me. I will beg His Majesty to kill them.”
The General's coughing intermingled with his anger lasted for a long time.
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At peak of the Peach Mountain there were four grand Taoist Temples. When there was no sacrifice and offering giving ceremony, ordinary people were strictly forbidden to approach them, only a few divine officers were allowed. Under this situation, these temples seemed very desolate.
In the darkened hall near the cliff, some miserable coughing sound could be heard. Since the Confinement was destroyed by the Great Divine Priest of Light, the Great Divine Priest of Judgment had been in a bad state since then. Now he heard the news that the Great Divine Priest of Light was no more. He was astonished and couldn't help coughing.
No sound could be heard in the Divine Hall, only silence.
The white temple, which was the most austere, was completely silent, for the Great Divine Priest of Light, who should have been in the Temple, had not sat upon the throne for nearly fifteen years, and he would never come back again.
Suddenly, a mournful sigh was heard in the pure white temple. It was so light and faint but it echoed in the whole Peach Mountain, like a powerful thunder, and then suddenly there was silence.
After a long time, that voice was heard again.
”How could the successor of the Great Divine Priest of Light live with ordinary people and then come back again to the Taoist Temple?”
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On a far unknown island in the south, a Taoist in indigo was standing on a high rock and watching the sea. He had spent many days here watching the sea. No one knew why he did this.
One day, he felt puzzled, and then he turned to look at the land. He frowned and murmured, ”What did you see on earth? And how many things did the successor you found learn from you? Is it destiny that brought you together?”
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”You call this wine? Is this qualified to be called wine?”
At a remote county of Gushan Commandery, a furious voice came from a common wine store which was located along the street.At the top of his voice was a very tall, red-faced old man who had accused the liquor store owner. He was dressed in a purple sheepskin robe, and a black overcoat, which should have been very expensive, but whether it was the weather, the dust, or something, it made him look a little old.
The store owner was a strong middle-aged man. He started at the old man, and then spat at him. He replied with scorn, ”This is our famous wine named Nine-river double-distilled wine in our Gushan Commandery. What's wrong? Are you not satisfied?”
Hearing this, the old man raised his wine bottle angrily. He answered loudly, splattering saliva everywhere, ”You think I never drink good wine? How could Nine-river double-distilled wine be so tasteless?”
The store owner glared at him, slapped him and said, ”I won't hit you because you are old! Don't go too far! Our Nine-river double-distilled wine is this weak ! What will you do!”
The old man started to tremble in anger. He rolled up his sleeves and was ready to fight. He shouted, ”You cooked chicken soup into vinegar, I put up with it! But how dare you try to convince me that this is wine! This is intolerable!”
A short time passed.
The old man had been knocked out of the tavern, and his carefully combed hair had become a mess. His black robe had been torn open and he looked extremely embarrassed.
Standing on the street, the old man shouted toward the wine store, ”You are so rude! As an old man, I still respect older people. You don't even know how to respect the old!”
Where would a shop selling fake liquor know such a profound truth? On hearing this, more employees rushed out the store and held crabstickes to beat him with.
The old man shouted in fear and fled in panic, and he run even faster than the young man. Although in a hurry, he didn't forget to grab his wine bottle, thinking that bad wine was still better than no wine.
He didn't stop until he came into a dilapidated Taoist temple.
An old yellow bull was chewing grass wearily, presumably because the grass didn't taste as good as fish or mutton. It was in a state of low spirits and began to kick its front hoof in anger.
Seeing the old man running to the Taoist temple in embarrassment, the old yellow bull mooed, as if it were laughing at him.
The old man gasped and opened his wine bottle. After catching his breath, he shook his head, and sighed. And then he came in front of a stone step, picked up a small stick, and used it to find something in the fire ashes.
Then two potatoes rolled out.
The old yellow bull slowly walked over, looking at the old man intently and affectionately.
The old man was pissed off. He pointed at the two burnt potatoes and said harshly, ”I let you take care of the fire. How can you eat this when they are almost burnt into ashes!”
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A far place in the north. In the depths of Tianqi Mountain.
Inside the forgotten the Front Gate of Devil's Doctrine.
Ning Que woke up, yet failed to recall what had happened.
He blankly looked around the dark room, finding that the bone mountain had crumbled into a hip of rubble. At the place where the old monk stayed, only two iron chains were left. And in front of the chains, there was a pile of ash.
Then, he remembered everything, and his body relaxed in a second.
However, looking at that pile of ash, he didn't know why he felt so sad.
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