"Snow paper from Songzhu Pavilion? This is made after dozens of procedures. A hundred of them cost at least twenty taels of silver, which is equivalent to half a year of my monthly allowance. The purple stone inkstone was also of high quality. The stone was smooth and smooth, and it had a sense of warmth. It would not freeze even in winter. Musk ink was made from high-quality pine smoke mixed with gold leaf and musk. When written, it was incomparably smooth. The words were spirited and carried a refreshing fragrance. The brush was also a good brush made from fox hair. This set of four treasures of the study would cost at least a few hundred taels of silver. This Duke Li Xiao Jing Yuxing is really generous. I heard that he is courteous and righteous, and often helps poor scholars. He has a good reputation in Yujing City. But I think he has great ambitions … "
Hong Yi carried a bag and walked to the West Mountain outside Yujing City.
He was preparing for the imperial examination and did not want to be bullied in the manor. He decided to stay in the West Mountain for a while and watch over his mother's grave.
Hong Yi's mother's grave was in the West Mountain, alone. With his mother's status, she could not enter the Hong family's ancestral hall after her death.
The West Mountain was a large mountain outside Yujing City, with a radius of nearly a hundred miles. Although it was not grand, it was densely forested and had a complex terrain. There were many mountain peaks, flowing waterfalls, and rocky forests.
There were many beasts in the mountains. Every winter, some nobles would go hunting in the mountains.
As he walked, Hong Yi thought about the four treasures of the study that Duke Li Xiao Jing Yuxing had asked someone to give him.
When the sky turned dark, Hong Yi arrived at the foot of the West Mountain. After cleaning his mother's grave, he offered incense and stayed in a small temple not far from the foot of the mountain.
This temple was called Qiuyue Temple. It was a dilapidated Buddhist temple, and there was only an ordinary old monk guarding it. Hong Yi would stay here for a while every year to watch over his mother's grave and for peace and quiet.
After giving the old monk some incense money and eating a bowl of mushroom noodles, he stayed in the side hall to rest. He lit a lamp and started a charcoal fire, preparing to study at night.
The north wind whistled, causing the walls to make creaking sounds.
In the courtyard of the side hall of the temple, the ground was covered with weeds. The wind blew up the withered grass. It was a desolate scene.
"This temple is getting more and more dilapidated with each passing year. However, the Da Qian Dynasty did not pay much attention to Buddhist temples, so it was easier to build Taoist temples. It's no wonder. " Hong Yi looked at this desolate and dilapidated temple. Although he was deeply moved, he felt that it was much more refreshing and comfortable than in the Marquis fu.
"Mother, if you're still in heaven, please bless me to get a good mark in this test and restore your reputation."
Hong Yi silently prayed as he stared at the lantern, which was as big as a bean.
Bang!
A flower burst out of the lantern.
Wu wu wu! Wu wu wu!
A few mournful howls came from the deep mountains in the distance. They sounded like wolves and foxes, mixed with the night wind, and also like owls.
Deep mountains, an ancient temple, the north wind, the laughter of wolves and foxes. All of these were terrifying scenes.
However, Hong Yi did not feel any fear. Firstly, he did not think that he had done anything shameful. Secondly, he was familiar with the Fox Ghost Diary. The scholars in the diary were upright and fearless. Even ghosts and spirits could not get close to them.
Wrapping his clothes tightly, Hong Yi opened the door and walked into the courtyard.
"Eh? What is that? "
When Hong Yi entered the courtyard, he saw that in a valley a few miles away, there were several fist-sized green flames floating up and down. It was very strange.
"This kind of ghost fire is emitted from human bones. It's common in unmarked graves, so it's not really supernatural." Looking at the floating ghost fire, Hong Yi smiled and muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a mournful cry came from the deep mountains in the distance. A black shadow flew out from the ghost fire and in the blink of an eye, it made people think of an old demon coming out at night to devour people's hearts. If an ordinary person saw such a scene, they would have their hair standing on end.
But when Hong Yi heard the sound, he knew that it was a night owl in the mountains.
Suddenly, he felt a bit poetic and said in a clear voice, "A hundred year old owl becomes a wood ghost, its laughter rises from the Jade Fire Nest."
"Young man, you are not old, but you are a refined person. Laughter rises from the Jade Fire Nest … "
Suddenly, a crisp and sweet voice came from behind him.
Hong Yi's shock was no small matter! His whole body broke out in cold sweat. He hurriedly turned around and saw that in his room, under the light, stood a slender and graceful young lady dressed in a pink court lady's dress. She looked to be around 18 or 19 years old, and her beauty was unparalleled. She had a kind of breathtaking beauty.
The beauty under the lamp was a beautiful scene.
But Hong Yi did not have the mood to appreciate the beauty. Thinking about it, a woman suddenly appeared in an ancient temple in the deep mountains. If she was not a ghost, then she was a demon.
"Are you a ghost or a demon?"
Hong Yi pinched his fingers and calmed his mind.
"Oh, how do you know if I am a ghost or a demon?"
The woman who suddenly appeared looked at Hong Yi with a smile.
"Very simple, your clothes are thin, and it is cold in the deep mountains. Normal people cannot bear it. Secondly, there are no houses in this ten li radius. You are a single woman, why would you appear in an ancient temple in the middle of the night? "As Hong Yi said this, his feet suddenly felt a little numb.
"Yes, I am a ghost." The woman's expression suddenly changed. Her tone was cold and her face was ashen, as if she would pounce on him at any time.
"I do not feel that I have done anything wrong in this life. I came to the ancient temple to study and to guard my mother's grave. Why are you looking for me? If you are a dissolute female ghost looking for a scholar to have a night of fun, then let me tell you, you are looking for the wrong person. I, Hong Yi, have been studying since childhood. Although I am far from being honest and smart, I can still maintain my principles. Quickly get out. "
Hong Yi flicked his fingers, puffed up his eyes and looked over fiercely.
"I do not have the Daoist priest's Daoist arts to exorcise spirits and control ghosts. I do not have any strength in my hands, nor do I know martial arts. Now that I have met a ghost, I can only rely on my vigor … I cannot show weakness. If I show weakness, the other party will attack me. My thoughts must be firm and resolute. "
As Hong Yi stared fiercely at the woman under the lamp, he encouraged himself in his heart and strengthened his conviction.
To deal with demonic ghosts, Hong Yi firmly believed that the first thing to do was to be spirited.
"Hehe, hehe. Young man, you are so interesting. "
Suddenly, the woman giggled and waved her hand. "I was just joking with you. I am not a ghost. A ghost does not have a shadow under the lamp. You should be able to feel the Qi and blood in my body when you come over. Is there such a ghost? If there is a ghost with Qi and blood, then it is not a ghost, but a Daoist Yang God Celestial Immortal. "
"Oh?"
When Hong Yi heard this woman's words, he looked up at the beautiful figure under the lamp. Indeed, there was a shadow of the woman under the lamp.
After hesitating for a moment, Hong Yi walked into the house.
Indeed, he could feel the fragrance of the woman's breath as she spoke. She was a living person.
"Yes, you are not a demonic ghost. Demonic ghosts are formed from formless thoughts. Even if you are powerful enough to manifest them, you will only be a cold mass and will not feel like you have a body of flesh and blood. You are not a demonic ghost, but you are not an ordinary person either. Then you must be a sword immortal who lives in seclusion deep in the mountains? "
Hong Yi used a finger to point at the space between his eyebrows.
"Oh? You seem to know a lot about demonic ghosts. Scholars do not talk about supernatural powers and gods. You are not an ordinary scholar. "The woman looked at Hong Yi with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"That is just a person who reads books. I am a scholar. I am a righteous person. I understand the world. I know demonic ghosts and gods. This is what it means to study things. "Knowing that the other party was not a demonic ghost, Hong Yi's heart calmed down and he became more lively.
"Hehe, I came to the Western Hills today to see my relatives. I didn't expect to meet such an interesting young man like you." The woman in red said to herself, "A scholar. Hmm, not bad, not bad. It just so happens that some of my relatives also have children who want to study. I want to hire you as a teacher to teach them. I don't know if you would like to go. The pay is ten taels of gold a month. "
"Ten taels of gold a month?" Hong Yi was shocked. The Da Qian Dynasty's gold and silver were fifteen to one. Ten taels of gold was one hundred and fifty taels of silver a month. It was a huge sum.
Hong Yi only had a monthly allowance of four taels of silver in the Marquis's Mansion. Although it was only four taels, one tael of silver was equivalent to one thousand copper coins, and one copper coin could buy a large sesame seed cake. One tael of silver was enough for a small family of three to live for a month.
For example, Jing Yuxing gave Hong Yi the four treasures of the study that were worth hundreds of taels of silver because of a poem. Even Hong Xuejiao, a noble lady from a noble family, was surprised.
"You don't believe me? I can pay a deposit in advance. "The woman smiled. She waved her hand and wiped it on the table.
Ding dong, ding dong. A row of glittering gold biscuits was placed on the table.
Hong Yi could tell at a glance that this was money made by the Da Qian Dynasty. Just like the biscuits, it was called "gold biscuits" by the common people and "gold coins" by the government. One tael for one.
"The purity of this gold is not ordinary gold. Only the imperial palace would have this kind of money. "Hong Yi looked at the gold coins and was stunned. It turned out that the gold coins were red in color.
Seventy percent gold was green, eighty percent gold was yellow, ninety percent gold was purple, and only one hundred percent gold was red in color.
As the saying goes, "No gold is completely red, and no man is perfect." This meant that there was no gold that was completely red in color in the world.
However, the Daoist priests who refined pills could produce it. This red gold was also called "medicinal gold". It was a medicinal ingredient used by the Daoist priests to smelt mercury and refine the golden pill.
This kind of red gold was printed into coins, which could only be found in the imperial palace.
Usually, it was given by the Emperor or the Empress to the civil and military officials, or the imperial concubines.
"This woman looks mysterious, but she is not very meticulous. She easily exposed her identity. She is from the imperial palace, and she doesn't look like a palace maid. Why would she come to the West Hills in the middle of the night?" Hong Yi's mind flashed with doubt, "A gentleman loves money, but he gets it in a proper way. You want to hire a teacher, but you are willing to pay ten taels of gold a month. It can be seen that the students are not easy to teach. You should keep the money, and find a time to take a look. "
Although he really wanted the money, today's situation was too strange. Hong Yi had to be careful. "I am not greedy for women, nor am I greedy for money. No demon or ghost can do anything to me."
"That's for sure. Let's go. It's really hard to find a teacher these days. It's rare to meet a wise scholar like you. Although you are a little young, you are not afraid of ghosts or demons. That's rare. I choose you." The woman muttered to herself and stood up.
"Now?" Hong Yi stared at her.
"Of course." The woman giggled again, "It's about sixty miles away from here. But with your speed, you won't be able to walk until dawn. Let me take you."
"Men and women should not touch each other. Besides, it's already so late. Come back tomorrow morning." Of course, Hong Yi tried his best to decline. To suddenly follow a mysterious woman in an ancient temple deep in the mountains at night was definitely a disaster and not a blessing.
"I will go back at dawn. What do you mean by men and women should not touch each other? No one will see." The woman looked up at the sky, and there was a hint of unexplainable majesty in her eyes. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Hong Yi's arm. With a leap, she arrived outside the courtyard of the temple.
This leap seemed to shrink the ground into an inch. It was a distance of twenty steps for a normal person. Hong Yi felt as if he was riding on the clouds.
"Shrink the ground?"
"What Shrink the Ground? This is just the footwork of the 'Leaping Ape Body Raising'. "
The whistling sound of the wind and the woman's voice entered his ears. Hong Yi only saw the trees getting further and further away, and he felt like a kite being released by someone. His ears and mouth were filled with wind, and he couldn't even open his eyes.
"This woman runs faster than a horse." Hong Yi simply closed his eyes.
After about the time it took for two or three incense sticks to burn, Hong Yi suddenly felt that he had stopped. He opened his eyes, and in front of him was a pitch-black valley. In the middle of the valley, there was a faint glow of fire.
"What is that!"
Hong Yi saw a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
In the middle of the valley, there was a huge bonfire burning. Beside the bonfire, there were dozens of snow-white foxes sitting around it.
These foxes were half squatting and half sitting, just like humans. Especially them, each of them was holding a book and making strange sounds, as if they were reading, just like children studying in a private school.
A group of foxes, reading like humans!
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