Zhu Xian

7

By dinner time, the sky had darkened.

On Dazhu Peak, the back mountain is a whole bamboo forest. The houses and buildings of the people are all on the front peak, the biggest and most important is the main hall, Shoujing Hall, where Tian Buyi, his wife and daughter live. Next to the Shoujing Hall is the small courtyard where the disciples live, but because there are too few people, there are more houses than people, and everyone lives in a separate room, even the newcomer Zhang Xiaofan has one. In terms of living conditions alone, Dazhu Peak is rare to outperform all the other branches of the same family.

All that was left were the Tai Chi Cave, the kitchen, and the dining room. At this time, all the disciples gathered in the dining room, and Du Bishu, the old sixth in charge of the meal, brought the food to the table one by one. Most of them were vegetarian dishes, and there were few meats. The disciples were seated in turn on the right side of the long table in the middle hall, with Song Daren sitting at the front and Zhang Xiaofan accompanying the last seat. At the head of the table and opposite each were a large chair and two smaller chairs, which seemed to be prepared for Tian Buyi's family.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at the empty seat beside him. It was the seat of the busy sixth Du Bishu. After a while, Du Bishu finally finished the meal, washed his hands, sat back in his seat, and waited for his master with everyone.

Du Bishu looked quite young, with a thin and pointed face, big triangular eyes, and a sly and active look, which was very clever. After he sat down, he looked at Zhang Xiaofan and smiled: "Little Junior Brother, what's your name?"

Zhang Xiaofan said honestly, "Zhang Xiaofan."

Du Bishu nodded, pointed at himself, and said, "I am your sixth senior brother Du Bishu."

Zhang Xiaofan respectfully shouted, "Sixth Senior Brother."

Du Bishu coughed, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Wait a minute, come and taste Senior Brother's craftsmanship."

Zhang Xiaofan saw the aroma of the food on the table, so he couldn't help but swallow his saliva and nodded hard.

Du Bishu suddenly smiled, and he pointed at the entrance of the hall and said, "Little Junior Brother, Master, Master, and Little Junior Sister will come in from there later. Let's make a bet, okay?"

Zhang Xiaofan was stunned, and the others in the seat turned their heads one after another, with smiles on their faces. Lu Daxin, who was sitting on top of Du Bishu, smiled and said, "Sixth, are you addicted to gambling again?"

He Dazhi, who was thin and lean, smiled and said, "He hasn't won for too long, and now he's going to deceive a child?"

"Go, go, go!" Du Bishu waved his hands again and again, ignoring everyone, and said to Zhang Xiaofan with a smile on his face, "Little Junior Brother, guess who will be the first to step into this door of Master's family of three? Well, you just started, let you guess first, let alone be a senior brother bullying you."

Wu Dayi, the second child sitting in the distance, shouted loudly, "Little Junior Brother, even if it is a bet, you should first ask him what happens if he loses, what happens if he wins?"

Du Bishu snorted and said, "Are you afraid that I will cheat? I, Du Bishu, walk the world by relying on the reputation of the gambling products (everyone laughs: you have never won!), little junior brother, if you guess correctly, I will help you cut the bamboo for ten days, and if you lose, help me wash the bowls for ten days, how about that?"

Everyone laughed again, and Song Daren scolded with a smile: "I'm not promising."

Zhang Xiaofan saw that the senior brothers had a kind smile and a kind attitude, and he didn't treat himself as an outsider. His heart felt warm and said, "Okay."

Du Bishu slapped his thigh, and his whole person was suddenly radiant and radiant, and said, "Little Junior Brother, then you say Master, Master, and Little Junior Sister, who will come first?"

Everyone's eyes fell on Zhang Xiaofan, and Zhang Xiaofan calculated in his heart that the first teacher of Qingyun Sect must be Master Tian Buyi who came in first. At the moment, he said loudly: "I guess it must be Master who came first."

Everyone laughed, and Lu Daxin shook his head and said, "I didn't expect to be cheated and won by Sixth Brother today."

Du Bishu was overjoyed, looking at Zhang Xiaofan who was confused, and said happily: "Little Junior Brother, let me tell you, in fact, every time Master's family is the first to rush in, little junior sister. Haha, come and help me wash the dishes later."

Zhang Xiaofan touched his head and couldn't help but laugh. He nodded and said, "Yes, Sixth Senior Brother."

Zheng Dali, who looked like the third child, smiled and said, "Sixth, are you embarrassed too?"

Du Bishu rolled his strange eyes and said, "What did you say, third child, I didn't force it or force it, everyone is willing to admit defeat in gambling, right, little junior brother?"

Zhang Xiaofan nodded and suddenly heard Song Daren say, "Master is here."

Everyone's expressions changed, and they all stood up, facing the door, to greet the teacher. After a while, Tian Buyi's short and fat body appeared at the door, and behind him was...

Nothing!

He actually came alone.

Everyone was stunned, and Du Bishu couldn't help but rush: "Master, what about my wife and little junior sister?"

Tian Buyi glanced at him and said indifferently, "Your Mistress brought Little Junior Sister back to her mother's house."

Everyone was stunned, but after a while, someone couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Tian Buyi walk in, Zhang Xiaofan looked embarrassed, wanting to laugh but not daring to laugh, Du Bishu was stunned.

Tian Buyi sat on his big chair and waved his hand. "Let's eat."

The disciples sat down and looked at Du Bishu with a half-smile. Tian Buyi glanced at Zhang Xiaofan and said to Song Daren, "Did you tell him the rules and precepts?"

Song Daren nodded and said, "Yes, I have told the little junior brother all the twelve rules and twenty commandments. As for those basic cultivation methods, the disciple sees that the little junior brother is a little tired today, and plans to teach it officially tomorrow."

Tian Buyi nodded in agreement and said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Old Seven."

Before Zhang Xiaofan knew it, Du Bishu pushed him. Only then did he realize that his master was calling him. He quickly stood up and said, "I'm here."

Tian Buyi shook his head, and his confidence in this slow-moving disciple was a little more, and he said, "You should follow the eldest senior brother first, remember to use your heart to learn, the sea of Tao is boundless, and hard work is a boat. Even if your qualifications are poor, as long as you persevere and work hard, you may not be able to learn, understand?"

Zhang Xiaofan said respectfully as if he had received an imperial decree, "Yes."

Tian Buyi waved his hand: "Eat."

Zhang Xiaofannian was short and sat on a chair holding a large bowl. He couldn't pick up any dishes that were a little farther away. However, Du Bishu beside him was quite kind.

Zhang Xiaofan was grateful, nodded again and again, ate for a while, and asked secretly, "Sixth Senior Brother."

Du Bishu turned his head and said, "What?"

Zhang Xiaofan said, "Why does my wife still have her family?" In his little heart, the people of Qingyun Sect are all first-class immortals, so there is no worldly concern.

Du Bishu spat: "Of course, my wife is also human. But when my master said that my wife went back to her mother's house, it was not true, but that she went back to my family's little bamboo peak Shuiyue master uncle."

Zhang Xiaofan said in surprise, "What?"

Du Bishu lowered his voice and said, "When I was young, I was originally born in the lineage of Little Bamboo Peak, and I was a teacher and sister with Master Shuiyue, the first master of Little Bamboo Peak, and my relationship was excellent. Later, I don't know what happened, Mistress, a flower-like person, actually married Master. I heard that many of the male uncles in Qingyun Sect at that time couldn't think of it..."

"Pfft", a chopstick hit Du Bishu's forehead, and the force was not light, and it turned red. The two were startled, but saw that Tian Bunot looked angry, and one chopstick was missing in his hand. Du Bishu turned his head and stuck his tongue out at Zhang Xiaofan, but the two did not dare to say any more, and lowered their heads to eat desperately.

At this time, Song Daren said to Tian Buyi: "Master, this time the real head of the sect called the seven veins party, why is only Master Shuiyue not here?"

Tian Buyi snorted, picked up another pair of chopsticks, and said, "It's not that the old Taoist nun pretended to be sick and sent someone to say to the senior head that he can't come with a headache and fever. The senior head is the same, and he actually believes it. Humph, if she comes today, even if I can't grab a good one, I may not spread it..."

The fourth disciple under the seat, He Dazhi, coughed twice and whispered, "Master, Master Shuiyue's lineage never accepts male disciples."

Tian Buyi choked, shook his head, and said, "And your wife, as soon as you heard that there was something wrong with Shuiyue, you immediately brought Ling'er over to see her, it was like the sky was falling, really."

The disciples looked at each other with joy on their faces. Song Daren hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "Master, I wonder how long my wife will stay with Master Shuiyue?"

Tian Buyi glared at him and said angrily, "How many days? Go today and come back tonight."

"Alas!" All the disciples sighed, all of them looking disappointed. Tian Buyi looked over, snorted, and said to Song Daren, "Did my wife guide you to practice again today?"

Before Song Daren could speak, the second brother, Wu Dayi, had already said: "Master, don't ask him, the eldest senior brother fled today, so shameless."

Song Daren said angrily, "Nonsense, I was ordered by my master to help my junior brother..."

"Ugh..." Everyone booed.

After half an hour of eating, Zhang Xiaofan wanted to stay and help Du Bishu wash the dishes, but Du Bishu smiled and said, "Little Junior Brother, thank you, but I can do the things here. You won me in a bet, don't worry, I will help you chop bamboo tomorrow."

Zhang Xiaofan was rather embarrassed. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Song Daren's voice say, "Sixth Brother, don't help him." As soon as he finished speaking, Song Daren walked in from outside the door and said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Little Junior Brother, come here.

Zhang Xiaofan nodded, but Du Bishu said from the side, "Senior Brother, what did you say?"

Song Daren said, "Junior Brother has just started and is about to lay a good foundation. It's not time to be lazy."

Du Bishu scratched his head and said, "That's right, so be it, little junior brother, this time I owe you once. If you have anything to do for you in the future, just ask me, okay?"

Zhang Xiaofan said: "Sixth Senior Brother, why don't we forget it, anyway..."

Du Bishu's face turned serious, and he said righteously: "What are you talking about, how can I be the kind of person who does not distinguish right from wrong, and who does not argue about loyalty and traitors? If I promise you, I will naturally do it, otherwise I will be ridiculed by all the senior brothers in vain."

Zhang Xiaofan nodded, but he still didn't understand what this had to do with right and wrong, loyalty and a******y?

Song Daren took Zhang Xiaofan's hand and said, "Little Junior Brother, come, I'll take you to your new room."

The two walked out of the kitchen, and the sky was already dark, and a bright moon slowly rose, hanging in the east sky. They walked past the entrance of Shoujing Hall, Zhang Xiaofan looked inside, and saw that the lights were all out, it was pitch black, and only the moonlight shone in front of the hall, which was quite gloomy.

After walking for a while, they returned to the corridor where the disciples lived. Song Daren took him to a room at the end of the right and said, "Little Junior Brother, I lived in the room when you woke up during the day, and the other junior brothers all lived in turn, all on the right, and the seven rooms on the left were unoccupied." After a pause, he looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said, "You live alone, are you afraid?"

Zhang Xiaofan shook his head.

Song Daren smiled and said, "That's it, how can we men be afraid of being alone! Come, let's go in." Then he walked in with Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at this unfamiliar place that would be with him for a long time in the future: a small courtyard, a green pine tree on the left, and five or six bamboo trees on the right, two or three people tall. The small stone eggs in the courtyard were paved into a path, with lawns on both sides. The night wind blew, the leaves and bamboo branches shook gently, and a fragrance of green grass came, which was very clean.

Song Daren opened the door, went in and lit the light, and said, "Little Junior Brother, come in."

Zhang Xiaofan walked in and saw that the furnishings in the house were as simple and simple as in Song Daren's room, and there was nothing left next to the tables, chairs and beds.

Song Daren said, "I have cleaned this place today, so you can stay for the time being. Living in the mountains is hard, and you are young, so you may feel lonely, but we who learn Taoism have to endure all kinds of hardships, and you have to do everything yourself in the future."

Zhang Xiaofan said, "Got it, Senior Brother."

Song Daren nodded, looked left and right again, and said, "Then I'll go back if there's nothing wrong. You've been tired for a day, so go and rest early."

Zhang Xiaofan answered and walked Senior Brother to the door. Suddenly, he thought of something and said, "Senior Brother, why didn't you come out and walk around just now?"

Song Daren smiled and said, "You don't know, at least we have been studying Taoism in this Dazhu Peak for decades, and it is rare to go out on weekdays. This Dazhu Peak has long been familiar with it, so we are too lazy to walk around, like the fourth child loves to read books, the second child loves to hum songs, and the more diligent one is like the third child who practices in the house, and generally does not come out."

Only then did Zhang Xiaofan understand. Song Daren smiled and touched his head, and then he turned and left.

Zhang Xiaofan returned to the room, closed the door, and suddenly the whole world suddenly fell silent, without a single voice. He silently walked to the table, sat blankly for a while, had nothing to do, then blew out the light, took off his coat and lay on the bed. After tossing and turning, he fell asleep in a daze.

"Ah!"

In the darkness, Zhang Xiaofan let out a low cry and sat up, gasping for breath. Just now, he dreamed that when he returned to Caomiao Village, he saw his parents again, his children's playmates, and other uncles and aunts. He was happy, but suddenly they all turned into corpses, blood flowing into rivers, extremely terrifying. His whole body shook, and he woke up like this.

He sat on the bed for a while, his breathing gradually calmed down, and his eyes slowly adapted to the darkness. He saw a beam of faint moonlight shining through the window and sprinkling on the green brick floor like frost and snow.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't feel sleepy, climbed up and walked to the door, opened the door and walked out.

The surroundings were silent, and there was a faint sound of insects in an unknown place. One, two, cut in a low voice, and the moonlight was like water, sprinkling on his body.

He looked up at the sky, only to see the stars, the moon is in the sky, bright and bright.

"I wonder how Jingyu is doing now, can't he sleep?" He said in a low voice, sighed, and was about to turn around and enter the room. Suddenly, his chest loosened, and an object rolled out of his small clothes and fell to the ground.

Zhang Xiaofan was startled and leaned over to pick it up. It was the dark purple and dull round bead with a small hole in the middle. It seemed that Puzhi had strung it on the jade rosary that day.

Thinking of this, his heart suddenly felt bitter. His parents didn't leave anything for him. Puzhi was close to him, but when they got together one night, they were like relatives.

Zhang Xiaofan raised his hand and held the bead in the air, facing the moonlight, lined with the brilliance of the moon, and saw that the color of the bead actually became lighter, turned into a lavender color, and was translucent. He vaguely saw a faint green qi spinning inside, as if spiritual, wanting to break out of the shell. However, every time the green qi approached the surface of the bead, a small "swastika" would light up and block it back.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at it for a long time, but he didn't realize that he liked it a little, and he remembered that it was the only thing Puzhi remembered, and he was really reluctant to throw it away. After thinking for a long time, he untied a red rope from his neck, which was tied by his parents to bless his long life and safety. Usually, people would hang some gold medal and silver locks, but his family was poor, so he had to replace it with a red rope.

At the moment, he tied the bead with a red rope and hung it on his chest. He didn't feel cold, but it still felt a little warm. He smiled to himself, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, turned around and walked back to the room, and went to sleep again.

His first day at Qingyun Sect was over.